Join Pandora 2026
Challenge Summary
Build an AI-powered Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) application that retrieves trusted knowledge from Pandora's ecosystem and generates reliable, evidence-based answers.
Challenge Summary
Build an AI-powered Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) application that retrieves trusted knowledge from Pandora's ecosystem and generates reliable, evidence-based answers.
Mission focus
Pandora Knowledge Guardian
A system that grounds every response in retrieved evidence and respects uncertainty.
Input
Documents, questions, and evidence
Output
Grounded answer with sources
Soft cyan gradients, glass panels, floating particles, and oceanic motion guide the user through the challenge.
Challenge Overview
Welcome to the Pandora RAG Hackathon 2026. Your mission is to build an AI-powered Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) application called the Pandora Knowledge Guardian.
Help environmental guardians, researchers, community leaders, and citizens retrieve trusted information from Pandora's knowledge base.
Generate grounded answers supported by evidence instead of relying on model memory or unsupported assumptions.
Always retrieve relevant documents before generating a response and clearly display the sources used.
Problem Statement
Pandora contains environmental reports, marine-life records, emergency procedures, conservation policies, community knowledge, research findings, and water quality reports distributed across many documents.
During emergencies, users struggle to quickly locate trustworthy information. Traditional AI systems may generate inaccurate or unsupported answers. Build a Retrieval-Augmented Generation application that retrieves relevant information from the knowledge base before answering user questions. Every answer should be supported by retrieved evidence and clearly indicate when sufficient information is unavailable.
Your Mission
Participants must build an application capable of moving from Pandora documents to trustworthy, evidence-led answers without hallucination.
Upload or access Pandora documents
Bring in environmental, community, and research documents from the knowledge base.
Process documents into embeddings
Chunk source files and convert them into searchable vector representations.
Perform semantic retrieval
Fetch the most relevant passages before any answer is generated.
Generate grounded AI responses
Use the question, retrieved context, and an LLM to answer with evidence.
Display supporting evidence
Show document names, sections, excerpts, and relevance cues clearly.
Handle uncertainty without hallucinations
Say when evidence is insufficient rather than fabricating an answer.
Minimum Functional Requirements
Each requirement should feel like a polished, glassmorphism-powered product surface rather than a plain checklist.
Knowledge Base Management
Document Processing
Semantic Retrieval
AI Response Generation
Source References
Uncertainty Handling
User Interface
Suggested Use Cases
Frame the solution around urgent and practical Pandora scenarios.
Environmental Incident Investigation
Track unusual conditions and surface evidence fast.
Marine-Life Protection
Protect vulnerable species and habitats with grounded guidance.
Emergency Response
Find trustworthy procedures when time is critical.
Community Knowledge Assistant
Help citizens find practical answers from local documents.
Sustainable Resource Management
Link science, policy, and action in one workflow.
Research Assistant
Compare reports, summarize findings, and expose evidence.
Technology Flexibility
Teams may use any technologies, frameworks, APIs, models, or databases they prefer. Judges evaluate the solution quality, grounded retrieval, and final experience rather than the specific stack.
Use any technology stack
Build the Pandora Knowledge Guardian with the tools that best fit your team. The challenge is about retrieval quality, grounded answers, and a polished user experience - not about forcing one framework, model, or database.
Bonus Features
Advanced ideas should strengthen retrieval quality or user trust.
Final Submission
Use this checklist to confirm the team has everything needed for the final demo.
Sample Questions
These questions should feel interactive, with the UI making it obvious which query is being tested.
Selected prompt
What are the possible causes of unusual changes in Pandora's ocean water?
Expected behavior
Retrieve relevant documents first.
Ground the response in evidence.
Show the source references used by the model.
Decline unsupported questions instead of fabricating an answer.
Evaluation Criteria
A modern table keeps the judging rubric easy to scan on desktop and mobile.
| Criterion |
|---|
| RAG Architecture & Retrieval Quality |
| Accuracy & Grounded Responses |
| Real-World Problem Solving |
| User Interface & Experience |
| Innovation |
| Presentation & Documentation |
Rules & Constraints
The highlighted container keeps the hard requirements visually distinct from the rest of the brief.
12 / Final Mission
Final Mission
Build an intelligent knowledge system that protects Pandora's people, oceans, wildlife, and natural resources by transforming scattered information into reliable, actionable knowledge. The strongest solutions will retrieve evidence, explain reasoning, acknowledge uncertainty, and help Pandora make informed decisions.
Upload Your Git Repository
Submit your team's final GitHub repository before the challenge ends. Ensure your project is complete, accessible, and contains all required source code and documentation.
Submission Guidelines
- Submit only one repository per team.
- Ensure the repository is accessible to the judging panel.
- Include all source code, required assets, and a complete README.
- Verify that the repository link is correct before submitting.