The FALKEN Wombat Badge 2 | BSides Adelaide

The Design

After the wild success of the very first Wombat Badge at BSides Adelaide 2024, the crew came back with an exciting challenge: “Can you dream up a CTF badge to match our brand new 2025 artwork?” Of course, I couldn’t resist.

Inspired by the fresh theme, I got to work, and what came to life was something truly unique. The design blends a mechanical robot with a steampunk twist, set against a backdrop of cascading Matrix-style binary code. We explored two distinct colour schemes to bring out the bold contrasts and cyberpunk vibes. The result was a badge that feels coherent with its premise, electronics and art.

Some of the clever design elements built into the Wombat’s body weren’t just for looks - they doubled as spots for CTF indicator LEDs. But the real game-changer this year? We ditched the USB cable.

That’s right - no more tethering the badge to a system. Thanks to some neat upgrades, the badge now works as a fully standalone CTF gadget. With onboard keys, it can receive flag inputs in binary and respond with interactive outputs, making the whole experience feel a lot more hands-on and immersive. It’s not just a badge anymore - it’s a puzzle gadget you can carry in your pocket.

The front side would house tactile push button switches, which give just the right amount of clicky feedback, turning every flag entry into a satisfying little moment of victory.

For the green-themed badge artwork, we paired it with a sleek green solder mask to match. And for the bold purple design, we paired it with a deep black solder mask, adding some nice contrast. Each version perfectly complements its colour scheme, making the whole badge pop with personality.

UV Printing The Artwork

For some mysterious reason, our early prints kept showing up with an unexpected blue tint.

After a whole lot of head-scratching, calibration attempts, and more test prints than we’d care to admit, we finally waved the white flag. Replacing our printer head with a new one, and just like that, everything snapped back into place. Crisp colours, clean lines, and no more accidental blues.

The one-sided green masking gave the badge a serious Hulk mode vibe. Hold it up to the light, and it glows with a greenish tint - as if the Wombat’s powering up for a smash.

The Working

Flip the slide switch, and the Wombat’s eye lights up with a glowing RGB LED - its first sign of life. If you’ve taken the time to solder on all seven CTF LEDs, you’re in for a treat: they fire up together, glowing brightly for three seconds before slipping into a smooth, looping animation.

The CTF

The CTF itself followed a quirky and fun theme: a robot wombat malfunctioning. Each of its core systems had glitched out, and it was up to the badge-wearer to bring it back online. Seven challenges stood between you and a fully functioning Wombat. With every puzzle solved, you’d repair a different part of its robotic body, and as a reward, the matching LED would light up, showing your progress like a little beacon of triumph. One fix at a time, the Wombat came back to life.

At the conference, we took things a step further with a dedicated Hardware Village - a hands-on experience where attendees could roll up their sleeves and make their badge truly their own. We provided the tools and guidance; they brought the creativity. Participants picked their own LED colours, soldered them in with steady hands, and gave each Wombat a spark of personality. No two badges left the village looking the same.

And then there was a little extra magic tucked away - a secret, unannounced challenge hidden beneath the surface. Beyond the seven official CTF puzzles, this one was designed for the curious hackers who love to peek behind the curtain: a hardware hacking challenge for those who observe, tinker, and unlock secrets just for the thrill of discovery.

And sure enough, we found our first intrepid hacker who cracked the code within a few hours. We honoured their hacker spirit with a special reward during the closing keynote.

The 2025 Wombat Badge: no cables, all magic. Challenges cracked, LEDs lit, secrets uncovered, Wombats revived.