Hacker Badges Evolve: The Cyber Ægg at BornHack 2026

nRF52840 is an ultra-low-power, highly capable system-on-chip (SoC) with an ARM Cortex-M4 processor running at 64 MHz. Crucially, its advanced power-management states allow the Cyber Ægg to run throughout the entire week-long BornHack camp on a single battery charge. This SoC also provides native Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC capabilities, allowing for seamless smartphone pairing and interactive tap actions.

The Wireless Radio (Semtech LoRa module): For long-range, off-grid communication, the badge integrates a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver. Operating on sub-gigahertz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio bands, this module is capable of transmitting data over several kilometers with minimal power draw. It serves as the physical layer for decentralized data routing both during and after the camp.

The Display (Ultra-Low-Power E-Paper): To maintain an extremely low power profile, the design incorporates a monochrome electrophoretic (e-paper) screen. Because e-paper displays only consume power when changing the state of their microcapsules, the badge can display static information—such as schedules, status icons, or clock faces—indefinitely without draining the battery.

*Section 4 (~190 words):*

The On-Site Experience: Games, Schedules, and Mesh Communications

During the seven days of BornHack 2026 on the island of Funen