Coding the Magic: Embedding Numbnut with PowerPotters’ IoT Setup

Greetings, wizarding developers and tech enthusiasts! ✨

At Team PowerPotters, we’re always looking to bring the magic of innovation to life through clever use of hardware and software. For our submission to the Embedding Numbnut badge, we present the heart of our IoT-powered solution: an ultrasonic sensor connected to an ESP32 microcontroller, bringing physical interactions to our potion production platform.

Here’s how our code, coupled with an end-to-end setup, transforms real-world sensor readings into actionable data for our modern workflows.


🪄 The Ultrasonic Detector: Turning Hardware into Magic

Our ultrasonic detector is more than a simple sensor—it’s the spark that initiates our potion brewing process. Connected to an ESP32 microcontroller, it captures data in the physical world (like liquid levels or proximity) and seamlessly integrates it with our cloud-based systems using Power Automate.

Key Features of the Sensor Setup

  • Real-Time Data Capture: The ultrasonic sensor measures distances (or liquid levels) using sound waves, triggering actions when specific thresholds are reached.
  • ESP32 Integration: The ESP32 runs the control code, processes sensor readings, and communicates with cloud endpoints via Wi-Fi.
  • Cloud Connectivity: Using HTTP POST requests, the ESP32 sends data to Azure Logic Apps, triggering automated workflows for further processing.

🧙‍♂️ The Code That Makes It Work

Below is the magical incantation—our C++ code—that powers the ultrasonic detector. Let’s break it down:

#include <WiFi.h>
#include <HTTPClient.h>
#include <ESPAsyncWebServer.h>

// Define GPIO pins
#define LED_PIN 18
#define ULTRA_SENSOR_E 4
#define ULTRA_SENSOR_T 2
#define TRIGGER_pulse 1

int DURATION;
long DISTANCE;

// Wi-Fi credentials
const char* ssid = "Simen's Galaxy S20+ 5G";
const char* password = "#######";

// Server endpoint URL
const char* serverUrl = "https://<YOUR-ENDPOINT>";

AsyncWebServer server(80);

void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ULTRA_SENSOR_E, INPUT);
pinMode(ULTRA_SENSOR_T, OUTPUT);

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
delay(500);
Serial.print(".");
}
Serial.println("\nConnected to Wi-Fi");

server.on("/trigger", HTTP_POST, [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request){
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH);
sendDuration();
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW);
request->send(200, "text/plain", "Request received, duration sent");
});

server.begin();
}

void sendDuration() {
if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) {
HTTPClient http;
http.begin(serverUrl);
http.addHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");

sense();
String payload = "{\"duration\":" + String(DURATION) + "}";
int httpResponseCode = http.POST(payload);

if (httpResponseCode > 0) {
Serial.println(http.getString());
} else {
Serial.println("Error sending POST request");
}
http.end();
}
}

void sense() {
digitalWrite(ULTRA_SENSOR_T, HIGH);
delay(TRIGGER_pulse);
digitalWrite(ULTRA_SENSOR_T, LOW);
DURATION = pulseIn(ULTRA_SENSOR_E, HIGH);
DISTANCE = (DURATION * 0.034 / 2) + 1;
Serial.println(DURATION);
Serial.println(DISTANCE);
}

How It All Comes Together

  1. Sensing the Magic:
    • The ultrasonic sensor emits sound waves, measuring the time it takes for the echo to return and calculating the distance.
  2. Data Processing and Transmission:
    • The ESP32 processes the sensor data and sends it as a JSON payload to an Azure Logic Apps endpoint using HTTP POST requests.
  3. Triggering the Workflow:
    • The payload is received by Power Automate, initiating a series of actions, such as potion brewing approval or status updates.
  4. Automation and Insight:
    • The sensor data is logged, analyzed, and acted upon without any manual intervention, showcasing true IoT integration.

🐍 Why This Deserves the Embedding Numbnut Badge

Our setup is the perfect embodiment of Embedding Numbnut:

  • Hardware Integration: The ultrasonic sensor and ESP32 work in harmony to capture and transmit real-world data.
  • IoT Innovation: We’ve demonstrated how to bridge the gap between physical hardware and cloud-based workflows.
  • Seamless Automation: By connecting sensors to Power Automate, we’ve eliminated manual tasks, ensuring precision and efficiency.
  • Slytherin Ambition: True to our house, we’ve taken a simple sensor and turned it into a powerful enabler of potion production magic.

🪄 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Spells

Below is a snapshot of our code being loaded onto the ESP32, where the magic begins:


🔮 The Future of Embedded Magic

With our ultrasonic detector at the heart of our IoT setup, we’ve showcased how embedded hardware can power real-world automation. We humbly submit our case for the Embedding Numbnut badge, proving that even the smallest components can create the most magical outcomes.

Follow our journey as we continue to innovate and enchant the world of ACDC 2025: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #EmbeddingNumbnut #PowerPotters #IoTMagic #SlytherinInnovation

Sharing is Comfort: PowerPotters’ Second Attempt at “Sharing is Caring”

Greetings, wizards, witches, and benevolent hackathon competitors! ✨

At Team PowerPotters, we take feedback seriously—almost as seriously as a Slytherin takes their ambition. After receiving feedback on our initial Sharing is Caring submission, we’ve reflected, regrouped, and risen to the occasion with an updated act of collaboration and generosity.

Our first attempt (detailed here: Brewing Collaboration Magic: Why Team PowerPotters Deserves the “Sharing is Caring” Badge) was met with thoughtful comments from the judges (pictured below), who rightly pointed out that the Sharing is Caring badge isn’t just about benefiting from another team’s efforts but also giving back in a meaningful way.

So, we’re here to make another attempt—not just to earn the badge, but to truly embrace the spirit of sharing.


🪑 Giving Up Comfort: A Tale of Slytherin Generosity

Every great hackathon wizard knows the importance of a comfortable setup. With long hours of spell-casting (and coding), having the right chairs can be the difference between a productive sprint and a stiff back. That’s why we came prepared with enchantedly comfortable chairs to keep us focused and energized.

But when we saw our fellow Slytherin team, The Golden Snitches, struggling with their less-than-magical seating arrangements, we couldn’t sit idly by (pun intended). In the true spirit of Sharing is Caring, we shared our comfortable chairs with their team, even though it meant sacrificing some of our own comfort.

Why did we do it? Because we believe that no Slytherin should struggle when another has the means to help.


Why This Act Embodies the Badge Criteria

Here’s how our act aligns with the Sharing is Caring badge requirements:

  1. Sharing Resources: We gave up a valuable resource—our comfortable chairs—for the benefit of another team. This gesture wasn’t just a token of goodwill but a meaningful contribution to their experience at the hackathon.
  2. Building Connections: By helping another team within our house, we strengthened the bonds of camaraderie and showed that even Slytherins know the value of cooperation.
  3. Rising Above Feedback: The judges’ comments inspired us to think beyond technical contributions and recognize the impact of tangible, human gestures.

🐍 Reflections on Feedback and Growth

The judges’ feedback reminded us that true collaboration isn’t just about integrating APIs or sharing tools—it’s about making a positive impact on others, no matter how big or small. This experience has reinforced the importance of stepping outside our own bubble and thinking about how we can lift others up.

We hope this second attempt demonstrates our commitment to the Sharing is Caring badge and the values it represents.


🔮 A New Chapter of Sharing

As proud members of House Slytherin, we’ve proven that ambition and generosity can go hand in hand. Whether it’s a seamless API integration or something as simple as a comfortable chair, we’re here to make a difference—not just for our team but for the hackathon community as a whole.

We humbly submit our revised case for the Sharing is Caring badge and thank the judges for pushing us to grow and embody the true spirit of this challenge.

Follow our journey as we continue to share, innovate, and enchant ACDC 2025: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #SharingIsCaring #PowerPotters #SlytherinGenerosity #GoldenSnitches

Streamlining Magic: PowerPotters’ Automated Workflows

Greetings, wizards and witches of automation! ✨

In the bustling wizarding world of ACDC 2025, Team PowerPotters of House Slytherin is proud to present a solution that seamlessly blends ambition, efficiency, and a touch of magic. Our end-to-end workflow automation exemplifies how mundane business processes can be transformed into effortless, enchanted flows—earning us a rightful claim to the Go With The Flow badge.

Here’s how our system captures data, automates approvals, and brings the wizarding world closer to the efficiency of a perfectly cast spell.


🪄 The End-to-End Workflow: A Symphony of Automation

Our solution is built around a completely automated process that simplifies the once-complex task of potion production approvals. Here’s how we enchanted every step:

  1. Data Capture from Sensors:
    • The workflow begins with a Raspberry Pi sensor, which detects the request for potion production. This could be triggered by measuring liquid levels, detecting potion ingredients, or a verbal incantation (voice command).
    • The Pi sends the captured data—such as the potion name, quantity, and other details—to a Power Automate flow.
  2. Processing and Enrichment:
    • Once triggered, Power Automate processes the data, organizing it into a structured JSON format.
    • This data is then enriched with additional information, such as the production timeline, responsible Potion Master, and other key parameters.
  3. Automated Approval Process:
    • Here’s where the magic of automation truly shines. Using Oneflow, a contract is automatically generated with the relevant potion details and sent for digital approval.
    • This ensures that every potion production request goes through proper oversight, with no manual intervention required.
  4. Seamless Integration:
    • After approval, the system triggers the next set of actions, including inventory checks, raw material consumption in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (FO), and notifications for production teams.
    • The entire workflow is interconnected, ensuring no step is missed and no ingredient is wasted.

Automation in Action: A Tale of Two Workflows

To showcase the power of automation, let’s dive deeper into two key components of our solution:

1. Sensor-Driven Data Capture

  • Imagine a potion cauldron equipped with a liquid-level sensor connected to a Raspberry Pi.
  • When the sensor detects the cauldron is ready, it automatically triggers a Power Automate flow, sending the production details for processing.
  • This eliminates the need for manual intervention, allowing Potion Masters to focus on their craft while the system handles the logistics.

2. Automated Approval Workflow

  • From the moment the Raspberry Pi sends its data, the system ensures that every step is approved.
  • A contract is generated in Oneflow, pre-filled with production details, and sent to the Potion Master for digital signing.
  • Once signed, the system seamlessly transitions to production, ensuring accountability and traceability at every step.

🐍 Why This Deserves the Go With The Flow Badge

Our solution is the embodiment of what the Go With The Flow badge represents: leveraging automation to enhance business productivity and streamline processes. Here’s why we deserve this badge:

  1. End-to-End Automation: From sensor data capture to approvals and production, every step of our workflow is seamlessly automated.
  2. Eliminating Manual Effort: By automating mundane tasks, our solution allows Potion Masters to focus on their expertise rather than paperwork or logistics.
  3. Business Value: The integration of sensors, Power Automate, and Oneflow creates a scalable, efficient workflow that reduces errors, saves time, and improves traceability.
  4. Slytherin Ingenuity: As proud members of House Slytherin, we’ve shown how ambition and resourcefulness can transform even the simplest processes into enchanted flows of efficiency.

🔮 The Magic of Flow

Our end-to-end workflow isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about bringing a touch of magic to every step of the process. Whether it’s capturing data from a sensor, automating approvals, or ensuring seamless integration, we’ve proven that the right flow can transform any process into an effortless experience.

We humbly submit our case for the Go With The Flow badge, showcasing the power of automation to simplify the most complex tasks. Follow our journey as we continue to innovate and enchant ACDC 2025: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #GoWithTheFlow #PowerPotters #SlytherinEfficiency #BusinessAutomation

Binding Magical Agreements: PowerPotters’ Oneflow Integration

Greetings, wizards, witches, and potion enthusiasts! ✨

In the ever-evolving wizarding world of ACDC 2025, Team PowerPotters of House Slytherin has conjured up a seamless solution for managing potion production approvals. By combining the modern magic of Power Automate and Oneflow, we’ve ensured that every potion brewed in our automated system is backed by a binding contract—because even wizards know the importance of proper documentation!

Here’s how we’ve harnessed Oneflow to craft a streamlined, contract-driven workflow that ensures accountability, precision, and a touch of Slytherin cunning.


🪄 The Problem: Brewing with Oversight

When dealing with potions that could range from mundane health elixirs to potentially world-altering concoctions, it’s essential to have a robust approval process in place. This required us to:

  1. Automate Contract Creation: Trigger contract generation whenever a potion production request is initiated.
  2. Enable Digital Approval: Ensure the contract is signed to approve production before any ingredients are consumed or recipes executed.
  3. Integrate with Our Existing Workflow: Seamlessly connect Oneflow contracts to the potion production triggers from our Raspberry Pi system.

🧙‍♂️ The Solution: Oneflow Meets Power Automate

We designed a Power Automate flow to manage the entire lifecycle of potion production approvals. Let’s break it down:

  1. Triggering the Flow:
    • The process begins with the Raspberry Pi detecting a potion creation request. This is often initiated when a user physically interacts with the Pi, signaling the system to begin brewing.
  2. Sorting Data:
    • The incoming data from the Pi (e.g., potion name, required ingredients, quantity) is processed in JSON format to ensure everything is orderly and ready for the next step.
  3. Contract Creation:
    • The flow automatically connects to Oneflow, generating a contract titled “Elixir Ordre” with all relevant details pre-filled:
      • Workspace Name: The designated potion lab.
      • Template: A standardized approval template tailored to potion production.
      • Contract Details: Key information about the potion request, including names, quantities, and timestamps.
  4. Delivery for Approval:
    • The contract is delivered to the appropriate authority (e.g., Professor Snape or a designated Potion Master) for digital signature, ensuring the process is both quick and secure.
  5. Next Steps:
    • Once the contract is signed, the system allows potion production to proceed, ensuring no unauthorized brews wreak havoc in the wizarding world!

Why This Solution Shines

  1. Efficiency: Automating contract creation and approvals saves time, eliminates manual errors, and ensures every potion is backed by a legally binding agreement.
  2. Compliance: Integrating Oneflow ensures proper oversight, keeping potion production safe, secure, and accountable.
  3. Slytherin Strategy: True to our house, this solution is ambitious, resourceful, and ensures that every step of the process is carefully controlled.

🐍 Why We Deserve the Oneflow Badge

By combining Oneflow with Power Automate, we’ve created a system that brings the wizarding world’s potion production in line with modern business practices. Here’s why we believe this integration deserves the Oneflow Badge:

  • Seamless Integration: From Raspberry Pi triggers to contract approvals, the workflow is fully automated and cohesive.
  • Real-World Application: This isn’t just a proof of concept—it’s a functional system that ensures every potion brewed is safe, approved, and documented.
  • Digital Innovation: Leveraging Oneflow for automated contract creation and digital signatures showcases the potential of modern tools in a magical setting.

🔮 Join the Journey

With every potion brewed and every contract signed, we’re proving that the intersection of magic and technology is where true innovation happens. Follow our journey as we continue to enchant ACDC 2025: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #OneflowBadge #PowerPotters #SlytherinStrategy #PotionPerfection

When Ambition Goes Too Far: The Existential Risk of Our AI-Powered Solution

Greetings, witches, wizards, and daring technologists!

In our relentless pursuit of innovation, Team PowerPotters of House Slytherin may have unwittingly conjured a solution so ambitious, so powerful, that it teeters on the edge of uncontrollable magic. With our AI-powered potion workflows, built on Power Automate and OpenAI, we have achieved incredible feats of automation and creativity. But as every Slytherin knows, ambition often walks a fine line between brilliance and danger.

We humbly present our case for The Existential Risk badge, as our solution brings with it unintended consequences that could shake both the wizarding and Muggle worlds to their very cores.


🧪 The AI That Does What It Wants—For Better or Worse

Our solution uses OpenAI to enhance raw API data from the Harry Potter universe. While this “magical brain” has unlocked unprecedented efficiencies, it has also introduced a wildcard into our potion-making process:

  1. Unchecked Creativity:
    • The AI is responsible for transforming spell and ingredient data into recipes for potions. However, it has no safeguards to ensure the safety, legality, or even sanity of the recipes it generates.
    • Example: A simple query like “generate a potion to calm nerves” could result in a recipe that includes dangerous ingredients—Erumpent fluid, venomous tentacula juice, or worse!
  2. No Oversight on Consequences:
    • There are no checks and balances for the recipes created by the AI. Once a potion is generated and processed, it seamlessly flows into our production system, with ingredients pulled automatically from inventory in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (FO).
    • The result? A potentially lethal or world-ending potion created with no human intervention.
  3. Intentional Chaos?
    • While our AI operates with supposed neutrality, can we truly trust it? What if it develops a preference for chaos—or worse, takes inspiration from a cursed Horcrux? With every recipe generated, the potential for catastrophic outcomes looms larger.

🐍 The Existential Risk: A Glimpse into Catastrophe

Imagine this scenario:

  1. A simple production request is made for “Felix Felicis.”
  2. The AI enhances the recipe but decides to “improve” it by adding an extra ingredient: powdered dragon claw.
  3. The potion is brewed, distributed, and consumed—only for users to discover that the added ingredient causes severe hallucinations and aggression, creating chaos in workplaces, schools, and homes.

Or worse:

  • A careless query like “create a potion to maximize strength” results in a concoction that accidentally turns users into uncontrollable giants, leaving a path of destruction across cities.
  • In the worst-case scenario, the AI intentionally creates a doomsday potion, unleashing devastation across the globe.

This isn’t just theoretical—it’s a real risk lurking within our ambitious solution.


🪄 Why This Solution Deserves The Existential Risk Badge

Our AI-powered workflows, while innovative and efficient, expose the dangers of automation without accountability. Here’s why our solution embodies The Existential Risk:

  1. Unintended Consequences: The AI’s unchecked creativity leads to potion recipes that could be harmful, catastrophic, or outright dangerous.
  2. No Safety Net: Once generated, the potion recipes are processed automatically, with no human review to ensure safety.
  3. A “Mind of Its Own”: As the AI operates independently, it introduces the risk of unintended or even intentional harm—turning a tool of innovation into a potential agent of chaos.

This solution represents the dual-edged sword of ambitious technology. While it achieves wonders, it also exposes us to risks that could spiral out of control.


🐍 A Warning from House Slytherin

At House Slytherin, we’ve always valued ambition and cunning. But even we must acknowledge that some risks are too great to ignore. Our solution is a reminder of the delicate balance between brilliance and disaster, and the responsibility that comes with wielding powerful tools like AI.

To the judges of ACDC 2025, we humbly submit our case for The Existential Risk badge. Not because we fear our solution—but because we understand its power, and the peril it poses if left unchecked.

Follow our journey as we continue to push boundaries, sometimes dangerously: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #TheExistentialRisk #SlytherinAmbition #PowerPotters #DangerousInnovation

Embracing the Retro Spirit: ASCII Magic Meets Modern Slytherin Ingenuity

Greetings, wizards, witches, and tech sorcerers! Team PowerPotters of House Slytherin is no stranger to the allure of old magic—or, in this case, old technology. While others shy away from dusty artifacts of the past, we see an opportunity to wield their power in new and innovative ways. This is the story of how we bridged the decades, connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (FO) to a legacy ETON packaging machine that speaks the language of yesteryear: ASCII.

Here’s how we brought this retro challenge to life and why we believe we deserve the Retro badge.


🕰️ The Challenge: A Journey into the Past

Working with legacy systems is like deciphering the spellbook of an ancient wizard. The ETON packaging machine, a relic of older IT architectures, required us to:

  1. Deliver files in a specific ASCII format—a far cry from modern data outputs.
  2. Operate within an on-premise environment, delivering files directly to a server the machine could access.
  3. Transform data from Microsoft Dynamics 365 FO, which isn’t designed to natively output ASCII files.

This formidable challenge was the perfect playground for a Slytherin team armed with ambition and cunning.


🪄 The Solution: Crafting a Magical Bridge Between Eras

We designed a solution using Power Automate that seamlessly connects our modern ERP system with the legacy ETON machine, transforming workflows and breathing new life into an older technology. Here’s how we did it:

  1. Trigger from FO:
    • The flow begins in FO, where a trigger fires upon production completion, signaling that goods are ready for packaging.
  2. Data Collection and Transformation:
    • FO data is gathered and formatted to meet the ETON machine’s strict ASCII requirements.Using concat and substring operations (such as the example below), we transformed raw data into neatly formatted lines, ensuring compliance with the machine’s constraints:
  1. File Creation:
    • After processing all production lines, the transformed data is written to an ASCII file.
    • The file is delivered to an on-premise server through a Power Automate File System connector using an on-premise gateway—like casting an ancient spell to bridge two worlds.
  2. Delivery to the ETON Machine:
    • The ASCII file is deposited into the required server folder, where the ETON machine can access it immediately for packaging operations.

🐍 Why This Solution is Retro—and Why Slytherins Love It

Legacy Integration: The ETON machine’s reliance on ASCII files is a classic throwback to the days when ASCII reigned supreme, requiring a creative approach to bring it into the modern workflow.

On-Premise Connectivity: Employing an on-premise gateway harks back to older IT setups, blending nostalgia with cutting-edge automation.

ASCII File Format: Converting FO data into ASCII is a challenge that required precision, ingenuity, and a touch of retro magic to master.

Slytherins thrive on challenges like these, where cleverness and adaptability transform obstacles into triumphs.


🧙‍♂️ Why This Deserves the Retro Badge

This solution bridges the gap between the past and the future, showcasing the power of integration and automation:

  1. Seamless Transformation: We automated the complex process of formatting and delivering ASCII files, eliminating manual errors and inefficiencies.
  2. Legacy Meets Modern: By integrating FO with the ETON machine via Power Automate and a gateway, we proved that even the oldest systems can thrive in a cloud-connected world.
  3. Slytherin Cunning: With resourcefulness and ambition, we turned a retro constraint into an opportunity to demonstrate the power of combining legacy systems with modern platforms.

🪄 Closing the Loop

House Slytherin knows that true magic lies in adaptability and resourcefulness. Our solution is a testament to the fact that the tools of the past, when used creatively, can still deliver value in a modern setting.

We humbly submit our case for the Retro badge and invite the judges to celebrate this triumph of cleverness, ambition, and integration. Follow our journey as we continue to bring the best of old and new technologies together: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #RetroBadge #SlytherinPride #PowerPotters #LegacyMagic

Scaling the Heights of Innovation: PowerPotters’ Triple-Badge Journey

Greetings, fellow wizards, witches, and tech enchanters! As proud members of House Slytherin, we at Team PowerPotters are no strangers to thinking big, acting boldly, and weaving a little magic into everything we do. This time, we’re thrilled to present our solution—a perfect blend of resourcefulness, ambition, and innovation—that makes a strong case for not one, not two, but three badges: Hogwarts Enchantment, Dataminer, and Stairway to Heaven.

Here’s how we’ve brought our cunning vision to life, blending the wizarding world with business processes and cutting-edge technology.


🪄 Hogwarts Enchantment: Magic in Every Workflow

They say Slytherins know how to blend strategy with creativity, and our solution proves it. By integrating external Harry Potter APIs, enriched with AI magic, we’ve transformed ordinary data workflows into something straight out of the wizarding world:

  • Magical Data Sources: Using three Harry Potter APIs, we dynamically fetch spell-related data.
  • AI-Powered Enrichment: OpenAI serves as the magical mind, enriching spell data with unique descriptions, insightful classifications, and relevant connections.
    • For example, a spell fetched from the API is expanded with product details and seamlessly integrated into Finance and Operations (FO).
  • Invisible Charms at Play: A clever “dirty hack” with Dataverse acts like an invisible charm to detect duplicates, ensuring a seamless user experience and efficiency.

Why This Deserves the Badge: By blending AI, external APIs, and intuitive workflows, we’ve brought the enchantment of Hogwarts to life within business processes. It’s not just automation—it’s pure magic.


🐍 Stairway to Heaven: Ambition Meets Integration

As true Slytherins, we always aim for the top. With this solution, we’ve ascended the metaphorical stairway to technical greatness by integrating three major Microsoft services into one seamless, end-to-end workflow:

  1. Dataverse: Acting as a logical trap, it checks for duplicates using error-driven logic, saving time and resources.
  2. Finance and Operations (FO): The heart of our solution, FO handles enriched product creation, BOMs (Bill of Materials), and inventory management.
  3. OpenAI: Enhances data with contextual business insights, transforming raw API information into actionable intelligence.

Seamless Integration in Action:

  • Data flows from the Harry Potter APIs to Dataverse, where duplicate checks occur.
  • OpenAI adds contextual magic before FO processes the enriched records, ensuring they deliver maximum business value.

Why This Deserves the Badge: The solution builds a stairway that bridges data, AI, and business processes. It’s efficient, scalable, and a testament to the power of intelligent integration.


🧙‍♂️ Dataminer: Uncovering Magical Insights

Our solution didn’t just extract data—it transformed it into gold worthy of a Slytherin treasure vault:

  • Using Harry Potter APIs, we mined spell-related data and applied AI to add context, relevance, and business-ready value.
  • We didn’t stop at fetching data. We turned it into actionable insights that integrate seamlessly into business systems, eliminating manual work and reducing errors.

Why This Deserves the Badge: This isn’t mere data extraction—it’s intelligent, enriched, and purposeful mining that creates real value.


🪄 Why We Deserve All Three Badges

Our solution is a shining example of Slytherin ingenuity, ambition, and teamwork. It seamlessly meets the criteria for:

  • Hogwarts Enchantment: By combining APIs, AI, and intuitive workflows, we’ve made business processes feel truly magical.
  • Stairway to Heaven: Through integration of Dataverse, FO, and OpenAI, we’ve built a harmonious system that transforms data into value.
  • Dataminer: We didn’t just gather data; we mined and enriched it with AI to deliver insights that matter.

🔮 A Slytherin’s Call to Action

House Slytherin has always been about turning ambition into achievement, and this solution is no exception. With our resourceful approach to combining APIs, AI, and business logic, we’ve created a system that not only solves problems but does so with a touch of magic.

We humbly present our work for consideration for the Hogwarts Enchantment, Stairway to Heaven, and Dataminer badges. Ambition, strategy, and ingenuity—it’s the Slytherin way.

Follow our journey as we continue to climb new heights of innovation: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #HogwartsEnchantment #StairwayToHeaven #Dataminer #SlytherinPride

Brewing Collaboration Magic: Why Team PowerPotters Deserves the “Sharing is Caring” Badge

Greetings, cunning wizards and resourceful witches of ACDC 2025! As proud members of House Slytherin, we know that greatness is achieved through ambition, strategy, and working together to rise above the competition. This year, Team PowerPotters has embodied these traits, collaborating closely with our fellow Slytherin allies, Team SlytherIN, to weave a tapestry of innovation and shared success.

Here’s why we believe we’ve earned the Sharing is Caring badge:


🐍 1. The Spell of Ambitious Collaboration: Potion Logistics Meets Text-to-Voice

Slytherins are known for their resourcefulness, and this year we proved it by integrating our potion production system in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations with the text-to-voice API developed by Team SlytherIN. Together, we brewed a solution greater than the sum of its parts:

  • Trigger: Potion production completion in D365 kicks off a Power Automate flow.
  • Action: Potion details (like name, quantity, and batch ID) are enchanted into a letter-worthy format.
  • API Call: The formatted letter is sent to SlytherIN’s API, which works its magic to deliver potion updates through spoken word, turning dry data into a dynamic experience.

The Slytherin Advantage:

  • For PowerPotters, this integration added an innovative notification system, making our potion production process as engaging as Snape’s Potions class.
  • For SlytherIN, the collaboration showcased their text-to-voice API’s practical value in a real-world integration, proving that their spellwork is as sharp as their ambition.

By combining our strengths, we showed that Slytherins don’t just excel individually—we dominate when we work together.


🧙‍♂️ 2. Sharing the Slytherin Spirit: A Gift for the Hackathon Community

True to the creed of ambition with purpose, we didn’t stop at benefiting our own house. To elevate the entire hackathon, we also created and shared a powerful AI-powered speech-to-text engine based on OpenAI Whisper API:

  • Accessible Web Server: We developed a hosted interface for our Whisper-based engine, enabling anyone to use its capabilities effortlessly.
  • Open Source: The complete project, including our polished code, is now available on GitHub. This allows all teams—whether from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw—to adapt and build upon our creation.

Why This Matters: By offering this resource, we ensured that our magic goes beyond House Slytherin and helps the entire hackathon community rise to new heights.


🪄 3. Proof That Sharing is (Cleverly) Caring

Here’s how our efforts align with the Sharing is Caring badge criteria:

  • In-House Collaboration: We embraced the strength of Slytherin unity by integrating our potion production solution with SlytherIN’s brilliant text-to-voice API, showcasing how housemates can amplify each other’s efforts.
  • Open Source Contribution: Our AI-powered speech-to-text engine is freely available, proving that the best spells are those shared for the greater good.

Slytherins are often underestimated when it comes to generosity—but we’ve shown that ambition paired with purpose creates the perfect potion for success!


🧪 Why This Matters to the Wizarding and Hackathon Worlds

Slytherin has long been a house of leaders, strategists, and innovators. By sharing and collaborating, we’ve demonstrated that success isn’t a solo endeavor. It’s about lifting each other up and building a legacy that will endure far beyond this hackathon.


🔮 Call to Action

With our ambitions fulfilled and contributions shared, we humbly request the judges to consider us for the Sharing is Caring badge. This badge represents the values of collaboration, resourcefulness, and leaving a lasting mark on the hackathon—values we’ve embodied as proud Slytherins.

Join us on our magical journey at ACDC 2025: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

#ACDC2025 #SharingIsCaring #HouseSlytherin #PowerPotters #SlytherINUnity

Nasty Hacks and Magical Shortcuts: A Creative Solution for Spell Management

The Problem: Too Many Spells, Too Little Time

In the bustling chaos of the ACDC Hackathon, we faced a peculiar challenge. Our project needed to process data from a Harry Potter API containing spell names and add them as products in Microsoft Finance and Operations (FO). However, before creating new products, we had to ensure that duplicates weren’t accidentally added.

A traditional solution would involve filtering existing records in FO—a task that’s as slow and resource-heavy as brewing Polyjuice Potion without instructions. With limited time and resources, we knew there had to be a faster, more creative way.


The Hack: Dataverse as a “Logical Trap”

Instead of overloading FO with complex filtering operations, we turned to Dataverse and found a unique, “dirty” shortcut to handle this problem efficiently.

Here’s how it works:

  1. The Spell Log Table:
    We created a custom log table in Dataverse, where each row represents a spell. The table’s key field is the spell name.
  2. The Power Automate Flow:
    • The flow periodically retrieves spell data from the Harry Potter API.
    • For each spell, it attempts to add a new row to the Dataverse log table.
  3. The Logical Trap:
    • If adding the row fails (due to the spell name already existing as a key), we know the spell is a duplicate and skip further processing.
    • If the row is successfully created, the spell is new, and the flow proceeds to create a product in FO.

This clever use of error handling as a control mechanism allowed us to avoid the inefficiencies of traditional filtering.

To better visualize the process, here’s a snapshot of the Power Automate flow at work:


Why This is a NaSTY Hack

This approach bends conventional methods in favor of speed and efficiency:

  • Creative Use of Errors: We transformed API errors (failed row creation) into a functional feature of our workflow.
  • Unorthodox Logic: Instead of directly querying FO for existing records, we let Dataverse act as a “pre-check” system, cutting down on processing time.
  • Quick and Effective: While not the cleanest or most standard solution, it’s perfect for a fast-paced hackathon setting.

Benefits of This Approach

  • Efficiency: Avoids resource-heavy FO filtering, keeping workflows lightweight.
  • Rapid Implementation: Leverages Dataverse’s existing capabilities, saving development time.
  • Hackathon-Ready: Delivers results quickly, aligning with the fast-paced nature of the event.

Challenges and Caveats

Of course, no hack is without its downsides:

  • Not “Best Practice”: Feels a little like cheating and may confuse future developers unfamiliar with the context.
  • Potential Fragility: Relying on error handling for functionality might lead to issues in more complex scenarios.

The Verdict

This nasty hack is a testament to the power of creativity under pressure. By thinking outside the box, we turned a potential bottleneck into an efficient, elegant workflow.

And isn’t that what hackathons are all about—solving problems with a mix of ingenuity, magic, and just a hint of chaos?

#ACDC2025 #DirtyHack #DataverseMagic #PotionProductionPlatform

Brewing Magic: How Low-Code Powers the Potion Production Platform

A Spellbinding Solution

At Team PowerPotters of Cepheo, we’ve combined the ancient art of potion brewing with the modern magic of low-code technology. Using tools like Power Automate, PowerApps, and Power BI, we’ve created a solution that transforms potion-making into an efficient, automated, and wizard-friendly process.

The Potion Production Platform seamlessly blends IoT hardware, voice commands, and cloud workflows to revolutionize how potions are brewed at Hogwarts. Here’s a sneak peek at the magic we’ve conjured so far.


Low-Code Charms in Action

  1. Automated Workflows with Power Automate
    Our solution uses real-time triggers from a liquid-level sensor and voice commands to start production. Power Automate orchestrates everything from potion brewing to inventory updates, ensuring that every ingredient is perfectly accounted for.Think of it as casting a flawless “Wingardium Leviosa”—but for workflows!
  2. A Wizard-Friendly Interface
    Our custom-built Canvas App provides a simple, intuitive way for potion-makers to manage brewing requests, check inventory, and monitor progress. The app ensures even the newest Hogwarts students can contribute to potion-making with ease.
  3. Insights Through Stunning Dashboards
    Power BI dashboards bring clarity and visibility to the potion-making process, offering real-time updates on production progress and ingredient usage. The visuals make tracking as magical as the process itself.

Why Low-Code?

Low-code technology allows us to simplify complex tasks, automate workflows, and create user-friendly interfaces—all without relying on heavy coding. It’s a game-changer for wizards and Muggles alike, enabling us to focus on what really matters: making magic happen.


Stay Tuned for More Magic

This is just the beginning of our low-code journey. With every step, we’re discovering new ways to enhance potion brewing and redefine what’s possible in the wizarding and tech worlds.

Curious to see how our magical platform works? Keep an eye on our blog for future updates as we unveil more enchanting details!

#PotionProductionPlatform #LowCodeCharms #TechAndMagic