Hacking Village at SFSCON 2025
Crane Hall | 7th–8th November 2025
The Hacking Village is the interactive playground of SFSCON. For two days, Crane Hall will host exhibitions, demos and showcases that bring research, free software and robotics to life. Visitors can explore the culture of digital freedom, test new technologies and engage directly with communities and innovators who are shaping tomorrow’s open future.
Explore the Hacking Village
Before and After (Computer) Freedom
Augmented Reality & Free Software
Before and After (Computer) Freedom
This micro-exhibition retraces a few landmarks of software and hardware freedom. By interacting with historical and contemporary computers, visitors are invited to explore key moments in the Free and Open Source Software movement rediscovering needs, visions and breakthroughs that kept historical computers alive, and that still keep them thriving. A machine for time paradoxes and a love letter to FLOSS, the exhibition invites passers-by to a nostalgia trip, and the truly curious to a voyage to a world that could have been… or that still could be.
Mobile robotic navigation
Based on the research project CONCERT, a demo showcasing the results of the paper “Automatic Vehicle Kinematics Recognition and Deployment of the Navigation for Modular Wheeled Mobile Robots” by Fraunhofer Italia is presented. Visitors will see a mobile robot in action that can adapt its kinematic control on the fly, switching between car-like, differential and omnidirectional navigation based on an open-source toolkit. The demo illustrates how open innovation can push robotics toward more versatile, scalable and accessible applications.
→ Research paper & open-source code
Telmekom Robotics
Telmekom presents a portfolio of smart robots designed to improve efficiency in hospitality, logistics and industrial environments. These robots integrate intelligent navigation systems, sleek design and user-friendly interfaces to support both front-of-house services and behind-the-scenes operations. From order delivery and dish collection in restaurants to logistics tasks in hotels and factories, Telmekom’s solutions demonstrate how robotics can relieve staff, streamline workflows and enhance the customer experience. Visitors can discover how these technologies are already transforming real-life service and production processes.
→ More info
Supported by Telmekom
Augmented Reality & Free Software
This dedicated space highlights the potential of extended reality (XR) when combined with open technologies. Linked to the workshop XR with Godot 4.5: Prototyping on Meta Quest 3, it introduces the latest XR frameworks such as Android XR and OpenXR, as well as emerging headset devices. A practical demo will focus on the Meta Quest 3 and the Godot Engine 4.5, using passthrough and OpenXR to create a simple AR prototype. Visitors will see how a free and open-source development environment makes immersive technology accessible, creative and collaborative.
Fediverse Demo Corner
The Fediverse Demo Corner invites visitors to explore decentralised online networks in a simple, hands-on way. A large touchscreen will display a browser with open tabs on federated platforms, allowing people to freely browse, test and understand how these tools work. Unlike mainstream social media, the Fediverse is built on open standards that allow communities to connect without centralised control. This space offers a relaxed introduction to the possibilities of decentralised communication, open participation and digital self-determination.
→ See also Fediverse track
Supported by FediForum
