Overview
Learn AR with SPECS is an online hackathon run by Devpost. Participants design an augmented reality app for SPECS, Snap's AR glasses, and have an AI coding agent build it in Lens Studio. No glasses are required, because everything runs in the Lens Studio preview on a laptop. The focus is less on writing code and more on deciding what is worth building and how it should feel. The submission period runs from October 15, 2026 to the deadline of November 9, 2026 at 5:00pm EST.
What makes good AR
The challenge is built around ideas that separate good AR from a website floating in front of your face. Good AR shares your view, so the camera sees what you see and the app can respond to it. It draws in the world, placing content on a table or over a stove at real size. It also leaves your body free, keeping your hands and eyes available for the real task.
How it works
Participants install the Devpost Learn skill pack in their coding agent. The skill pack interviews you about your idea, checks it against AR design best practices, and writes a design brief. Snap's CLAD agents then build the Lens in Lens Studio from that brief, and you test it in the preview. You finish with a working Lens, the planning documents behind it, and a way of thinking about AR that you can reuse on future projects.
Format
- Fully online event.
- Open to participants above the legal age of majority in their country of residence, in all countries and territories, excluding standard exceptions.
- Required tools: a computer that runs Lens Studio, Node.js and Git, a coding agent that supports skills, the Lens Studio MCP, and the CLAD plugin.
Schedule
- October 15, 2026: submission period begins.
- Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 12PM ET: Learn AR with SPECS Live Build Session, where a Lens is built from start to finish. A recording is provided for those who cannot attend.
- Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 12PM ET: Learn AR with SPECS Live Project Review, where a few projects in progress are reviewed against the judging criteria.
- November 9, 2026 at 5:00pm EST: submission deadline.
What to build
Participants create a new Lens for SPECS, planned with the skill pack and built by a coding agent through CLAD in Lens Studio. Projects must be new and started during the submission period, though old ideas are allowed. The repository must include the planning documents the skill pack writes to the devpost folder, and the Lens must run in the Lens Studio preview. Participants without an idea can let the skill pack interview them to develop one.
Submission requirements
- A demo video, public on YouTube and under 3 minutes, showing the Lens working. A screen recording of the Lens Studio preview is recommended, and discussing the design process is encouraged.
- A public repository on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket that includes the Lens Studio project files and the devpost folder.
- A short description of what the Lens does, who it is for, and what was learned.
Reviewers will not clone or run projects, so the video must show the Lens working.
Prizes
- First place: $1,250 in cash
- Second place: $750 in cash
- Third place: $500 in cash
Every winner receives a feature in the Devpost newsletter and on Devpost's social channels. Everyone who submits an eligible project receives a Devpost Learn badge and a special role in the Devpost Discord.
Judging criteria
- Design: whether the project delivers a complete, coherent product experience rather than a technical proof of concept.
- Technical implementation: how well the project is built and how well it uses CLAD, Lens Studio, and the Lens Studio MCP.
- Innovation and idea: how creative and novel the concept is and how it differs from existing concepts.
- Presentation: whether the video clearly demonstrates the project working end to end, whether the pitch explains the problem, audience, and importance, and whether the presentation is easy to follow.
Judges
The judges are Joe Holmes, AI Learning Hackathon Architect at Devpost, and Darlyze Calixte, Developer Marketing Manager at Devpost.
Getting help
Participants can ask questions in the SPECS channel of the Devpost Discord, where they can also see what other builders are making. Setup help, the FAQ, and event details are available on the Resources tab. Other questions can be sent to the hackathon manager by email.
