Georgia Tech Students Invited to ‘Quack-a-Thon’ to Innovate Next Generation of My Special Aflac Duck®

Georgia Tech students are invited to take part in the upcoming Quack-a-Thon — a hands-on design challenge where creativity and technology come together to help children facing serious illness. Sponsored by Aflac, the event will take place on October 27 from 3–7 p.m. at 848 Spring Street NW (Tech Square). Participants will team up to create and pitch rough prototypes for new features or accessories for My Special Aflac Duck, the award-winning interactive companion that helps children ages three and up with cancer and sickle cell disease prepare for medical procedures, express their feelings, and find comfort during treatment.

Developed by Aflac and Empath Labs, My Special Aflac Duck is more than a toy — it’s a therapeutic tool that blends robotics and emotional support. The soft, cuddly duck helps children navigate the hospital and treatment experience through play and imagination. The Quack-a-Thon gives Georgia Tech students the chance to elevate this meaningful companion, applying their skills in engineering, design, robotics, and user experience to make the next generation of the duck. Your involvement presents an opportunity to impact the lives of children facing serious health challenges.

Students will present their concepts to a panel of judges from Georgia Tech and Aflac, competing for prizes of up to $500. Winning ideas will also be reviewed by Aflac and Georgia Tech for potential inclusion in future updates to My Special Aflac Duck.

The Quack-a-Thon is part of a broader collaboration between Aflac and Georgia Tech, led by the Georgia Tech Pediatric Innovation Network (GT-PIN), and is open to all students at Georgia Tech. This initiative reflects the Institute’s culture of human-centered innovation, bridging engineering, design, and digital technology to create real-world impact.

Leading up to the main event, a series of informal “Pop-Up” design sessions are being held across campus to gather quick ideas and engage students from a range of disciplines. These lunch-hour brainstorming events encourage anyone — from undergraduates to Ph.D. students — to drop by, learn about the challenge, and sketch their ideas for how the duck could better support children and families during treatment. Participants can win small prizes for their submissions and contribute to a shared pool of ideas that will inform the final creation.

The Quack-a-Thon isn’t just about competition — it’s about compassion, collaboration, and using design to make a tangible difference in children’s lives. After the October event, a Georgia Tech review team will help Aflac narrow down the top ideas to explore further.

Students interested in participating can register by scanning the QR code [can we insert QR code in article] or visiting @quackathon.gt on Instagram.

Join the flock on October 27, bring your creativity, and help reimagine how technology can comfort children when they need it most.