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By Paul Fladten
MILWAUKEE, WI — Discovery World served as the testing ground for student innovation this February as it hosted the Dream Machine Hackathon, a multi-week data visualization challenge bringing together university students and industry leaders to reimagine how guests experience the museum’s iconic Dream Machine exhibit.
The Connected Systems Institute and the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute, in partnership with Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, and Northwestern Mutual, hosted the hackathon to benefit Discovery World. Student teams from Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee competed for $10,000 in prizes by designing interactive data dashboards powered by data from the Dream Machine.
Ten teams analyzed live Dream Machine data from February 13-27, using modern analytics tools while collaborating with industry mentors from Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, and Northwestern Mutual. Teams presented their final dashboards in person at Discovery World on February 27.
The challenge centers on transforming complex sensor data generated by motors, movement, and environmental inputs into engaging and accessible insights for museum guests. The strongest designs may be incorporated directly into the Dream Machine, allowing student work to be seen by more than 250,000 guests of Discovery World each year.
“This hackathon reflects what makes Discovery World special, connecting education, innovation, and real-world application,” said John Emmerich, Discovery World’s President & CEO. “By opening our exhibits and data to students, we are creating a meaningful opportunity to shape how our guests engage with science and technology while gaining hands-on experience that extends far beyond the classroom.”
“Experiences like this give students the chance to work on authentic challenges using the same tools and data they will encounter in the workforce,” said Tessa Myers, Senior Vice President of Intelligent Devices at Rockwell Automation. “By connecting students with real-world problems and industry mentors, we are helping grow the pipeline of highly qualified talent right here in our region.”
Discovery World, Rockwell Automation, and Northwestern Mutual experts played a key role as judges, evaluating submissions based on creativity, usability, technical execution, and visitor engagement. Involvement from leaders of each organization ensured the dashboards are both technically strong and meaningful for public audiences.
By combining student creativity, industry mentorship, and museum expertise, the Dream Machine Hackathon highlighted Milwaukee’s growing innovation ecosystem and Discovery World’s role in connecting education, technology, and community impact.
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