element14, an Avnet Community, is giving its members the opportunity to come up with creative and altruistic solutions for global disasters. Members are encouraged to think outside the box and share ideas that could potentially be used to combat anything from global droughts and flooding, to world hunger or even complications from long term COVID-19 symptoms or other large-scale global problems.

“As headlines continue to focus on the disasters facing our world, we’re glad to be able to offer our community members the chance to work toward finding solutions and building something that can have a positive impact,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “We hope this design challenge will inspire our community members to push themselves creatively and develop something that could be of use to people in need.”

Arduino is supplying 50 selected community members with a free Arduino Nano 33 IoT to help them build their designs. The Arduino Nano 33 IoT is a dual processor board that is designed to be a practical and cost-effective solution for makers seeking to add Wi-Fi connectivity to their projects. It offers enough flexibility to be helpful for just about any project the community members come up with.

Any submission that helps to support a cause and uses the Arduino Nano 33 IoT as part of the design is eligible to participate in this challenge. Potential projects could include:

• Micro plastic monitoring buoy
• Open source security system
• Mobile refrigerator for vaccine distribution
• Pest control system
• Aids for those with long term COVID-19 symptoms
• Safer cooking options for people with sight impairments
• Mobility Aids
• Open source electric wheelchair conversion kit

Participants can apply to receive a free Arduino Nano 33 IoT online until 1^st February. These sponsored challengers will be announced on 8^th February, with projects due on 19^th April. Sponsored challengers will be required to blog throughout their process, including publishing the final code and designs for the projects on the element14.com site.

The grand prize winner of the design challenge will receive a Creality CR10-S 3D printer from Farnell, a 64GB iPad Air with WiFi, and will have $500 donated to the charity of their choice. The runner up will receive a 64GB iPad Air with WiFi and $250 donated to the charity of their choice. Those who complete the challenge and follow the participation requirements will receive a pocket digital multimeter. Winners will be announced on 3^rd May.

To learn more about the “Design For A Cause” design challenge, please visit element14.com.

element14.com, an Avnet community, has announced its latest Project14 design contest, themed around reducing electronics waste by upcycling vintage electronics. Members of the online community will have the opportunity to repurpose any unused appliance to make it into something new, unique and useful. By upcycling electronics that no longer serve a purpose, members of the community are able to celebrate the best parts of vintage electronics while improving them to make them function in today’s electronics environment.

A monthly design competition open to makers and engineers of all backgrounds and skill levels, Project14 was developed to promote shared learning and cooperation among members of the element14 Community. Participants are asked to document their progress through a series of blogs, with the best executed projects eligible for a chance of winning a $200 credit for use at Newark in North America, Farnell in Europe or element14 in Asia Pacific.

All Project14 challenges are based on suggestions from element14 community members, with each month’s theme selected by a public poll. The Recycle & Retrofit challenge was inspired by a workshop on Vintage Upcycling hosted by Enrico Miglino: 

To enter the Project14 Recycle & Retrofit Design Contest, participants simply need to register an account at the element14 Community and submit a blog entry detailing their idea and how they plan to develop it.

Submissions are open until December 14, 2020. For more information including full terms and conditions, visit: www.element14.com/upcycle

To register to become a member of the element14 Community, visit http://www.element14.com/

For the latest in its highly popular design challenge series, element14, an Avnet community, is challenging its community members to create a high-tech, sustainable farm within just one square meter, or about 10-11 square feet. To help participants develop these micro plots, element14 has teamed up with Raspberry Pi to provide 20 applicants with a challenge kit featuring a Raspberry Pi 4 2GB single board computer along with multiple Pi accessories to help with environmental monitoring and building in a confined space, including the Pimoroni PIM487 Automation Hat, PIM486 Enviro Hat, and the Pico HAT Hacker PC.

“At a time when many people are looking for ways to have a role in sustainable agriculture, this challenge allows community members to create their own mini modern farms in just one square meter of land,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “We’re looking forward to seeing our community show off their green thumbs and think outside the traditional greenhouse for what can be done when farming in a small space.”

Participants are invited to use the challenge kit to create a high-tech farming system within one square meter. Potential projects could include:

• Zero gravity enclosure
• Edible algae growing system
• Electronic planting and picking operation
• High growth density mini-farm
• Entirely self-contained farming system
• Robotic pest management system

The ‘One Meter of Pi’ Challenge is open now until 23^rd November, with winners announced at the end of November. The grand prize winner of the Design Challenge will win a 13” Macbook Air, Pimoroni 8” Retro Arcade Kit and a $200 Carbon Offset. The runner up winners will receive an iPad10, 32GB, Pimoroni 8” Retro Arcade Kit and $100 Carbon Offset. All other participants who blog about the build process and outcome of the challenge will receive a USB Solar Bank and a Reusable Metal Straw and Cutlery Set. Posts that include rich visual imagery such as photos, videos and code samples will be viewed favorably in the judging process.

Challenge kits are available to 20 participants who apply online now until 7^th September. Challenge kit recipients will be announced on 14^th September. Design Challenge participants who receive the kits must use all elements of the kit in their projects and post their progress and final project in at least one blog post.

To learn more about the “One Meter of Pi” design challenge, please visit www.element14.com/1mofpi.

element14, an Avnet community, is harnessing the power of Infineon technologies that make life easier, safer and greener with the “Sustain The World” design challenge. This challenge encourages the community to create a new design with a positive environmental impact that can be applied to a variety of sustainable ventures including recycling, CO2 monitoring, pollution monitoring, and more.

“Designers and engineers are in the unique situation to innovate real solutions that inspire a safer, greener future,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “element14 has teamed up with Infineon to inspire our community of more than 720,000 members to put their design skills to work to create every day, sustainable solutions to make life easier.”

Members of the element14 Community will compete to design the most creative green solution using a variety of evaluation boards and Kits provided by Infineon, including the Platform2GO XMC4200 MCU, the TLE94112EL motor controller, the DPS422 pressure sensor, the TLV493D A1B6 MS2GO magnetic sensor and a PROFET+2 12 smart switch shield.

Challengers are invited to use these kits from Infineon to help sustain the planet. Example applications include:

• Micro plastics monitoring buoy
• Remote pollution monitoring
• Roadside littering monitor
• CO2 monitoring station
• Self-compacting trash cans
• Recycling composition tester
• Sea level and levy monitor
• Automatic tree planter
• Trash collection bot

Although the “Sustain The World” design challenge is open to everyone, element14 Community members can apply to receive one of 20 free challenge kits featuring the above Infineon products to create their designs. Applications close on 25^th May and challengers will be announced on 1^st June. Then, participants will have until 10^th August to blog about and build their projects. Winners will be announced on 17^th August.

The first-place challenger will win $500 donated to the charity of their choice, 100 trees planted, an Envirocycle Home Composter, Click and Grow Home Smart IoT Garden, and a reusable metal straw and cutlery set. The runner up will receive $250 donated to the charity of their choice, 100 trees planted, the Click and Grow Home Smart IoT Garden, and a reusable metal straw and cutlery set. All other participants who blog about the build process and outcome of the challenge receive a Solar USB charger battery bank as well as 10 trees planted in their honour.

To learn more about element14 and the “Sustain Our World” challenge, please visit: 

https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/sustain-the-world-design-challenge

element14, an Avnet community, is teaming up with Cypress Semiconductor and Amazon Web Services to help build a better future with IoT. The “Connected Cloud” design challenge aims to foster the community’s creativity by applying innovative IoT solutions to anything in their world that needs improving, from monitoring traffic conditions, to creating information hubs for their communities, or monitoring flood waters. The latest design challenge from element14 encourages its members to learn new IoT development skills, elevate their designs, and think outside the box to solve everyday problems.

“Learning and advancing skills in IoT is one of the most frequent requests we get from our global community members,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cypress Semiconductor and Amazon Web Services to offer our community members the opportunity to expand their IoT design knowledge using some of the best IoT tools available, all while working on a specific challenge in their world.”

The sky is the limit for what participants can design in this challenge. Sample applications could include:

• Product Monitoring System
• Hospital Information Displays
• Building-Wide Reminder Systems
• Electric Vehicle Charge Monitoring
• Meeting Room Monitoring System
• Interactive Help Systems
• Crowd Counters

Although the “Cloud connect” Design Challenge is open to everyone, element14 Community members can apply to receive one of 20 free PSoC 6 Kits. Challengers can choose a Cypress PSoC 6 WiFi-BT Pioneer Kit (CY8CKIT-062-WIFI-BT) or PSoC 6 WiFi-BT Prototyping Kit (CY8CPROTO-062-4343W) to build their projects. The Pioneer Kit enables designers to evaluate and develop their applications using the PSoC 6 MCU, Cypress’ ultra-low-power PSoC specifically for IoT products and wearables that offers higher flexibility, in-field design tuning, and faster time-to-market. Amazon Web Services will also be providing $25 Cloud Credit per sponsored challenger for their AWS IoT Platform.

All participants are required to post at least 10 blogs about their design process and interface with Amazon Web Services incorporating photos, videos and code samples. Those who complete 10 blog posts and submit a featured project that meets the requirements will receive a Multicomp Pro Multimeter Set. One first prize winner will receive a Desktop 3D Printer and the new, unannounced PSoC6 Kit. One runner up will receive a HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality System and the new, unannounced, PSoc6 Kit.

Applications for the free Cypress Kit open on 27^th January and close on 24^th February. The design challenge deadline is 11^th May 2020. Winners will be announced in June 2020.

To learn more about the “Cloud Connect” Design Challenge, please visit www.element14.com/connectedcloud.

element14.com, the community for engineers, has announced the winners of its “Sixth Sense” Design Challenge. As one of five challenges the element14 Community runs each year, element14 encouraged its members to create a small, remotely-operated or autonomous vehicle, leveraging the powerful processing capabilities of STMicroelectronics and TE Connectivity products to improve remote vehicle sensing and data collection.

The element14 Community team of judges selected a Grand Prize and Runner Up winner for the design challenge:

• Grand Prize – Douglas Wong, Canada – Douglas created GraffitiBot, a fully autonomous ground vehicle capable of printing graphics on the surface it traverses and producing a liquid canvas drawing. Although the GraffitiBot itself might be small, the scope of the project was anything but, incorporating mechanical, electronics, software and hydraulic design.

• Runner Up – Rod B, UK – Rod created a robot to help those working in construction by hauling heavy materials such as sand or gravel. To achieve this, Rod made his own PCB to host the TE Magnet sensor so that it would be board-mountable, showing an inventive way of using the required technology. This was Rod’s first ever element14 design challenge.

Through detailed blog posts, the challengers made all of their build steps and code open source, so other element14 Community members can learn from these designs and replicate projects on their own.

“As the Development Distributor, we are committed to being a champion for makers and are proud to help drive innovation for our 600,000-plus member community,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “As always, we were very impressed by the creativity and innovative spirit our community demonstrated with this challenge and are looking forward to offering more opportunities for our members to push the boundaries of electronic design.”

The element14 Community is part of Premier Farnell, the development distributor, which helps design engineers, maintenance and test engineers, makers, parents, and teachers develop the future generation of coders and products that apply technology to change our world for the better.

To learn more about element14 design challenges and the community’s commitment to drive innovation and champion makers, visit: https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges

element14.com, the online community for engineers, has announced their latest Project14 design contest, themed around ‘Home Automation’. Members of the online community will have the opportunity to create a project that enhances their living space using tech-based solutions such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and automated comfort control.

A monthly design competition open to makers and engineers of all backgrounds and skill levels, Project14 was developed to promote shared learning and co-operation among members of the element14 community. Participants are asked to document their progress through a series of blogs, with the best executed projects in with a chance of winning a $100 shopping cart for use at Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America or element14 in Asia Pacific.

All Project14 challenges are based on suggestions from element14 Community members, with each month’s theme selected by a public poll. The home automation challenge was suggested by community member Cristina Harrison, a developer from Dallas, USA. She was partially inspired by the popular sci-fi series Eureka, which featured an artificially intelligent home called S.A.R.A.H. (Self Actuated Residential Automated Habitat).

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community and Premier Farnell, said: “Project14 is an opportunity for makers and engineers to build confidence, share their talents and showcase their technical skills and creativity, no matter how much prior experience they may have.”

“By opening our monthly competitions to as broad an audience as possible, Project14 is enabling novices, experts and everyone in between to learn from each other and share the journey of turning an idea into a fully realised engineering project, without the need to invest a large amount of time or money.”

“The theme of Home Automation reflects a global rise in interest in smart domestic devices and connected living. I’m excited to see what our members come up with, and to welcome new creative voices into our community through this project.”

To enter the Project14 Home Automation Design Contest, participants simply need to register an account at the element14 Community and submit a blog entry detailing their idea and how they plan to develop it.

Submissions are open until 14 March 2019. For more information including full terms and conditions, visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/project14/homeautomation

To register to become a member of the element14 Community, visit http://www.element14.com/

element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, has launched the ‘Pi-Casso’ Design Challenge, encouraging its community to think outside the frame and create digital artwork that showcases the versatility of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. This latest design challenge from Premier Farnell underscores the Development Distributor’s commitment to push its community to create groundbreaking designs that surpass conventional thinking of what electronics projects can be.

“The world’s most famous artists from Van Gogh to Picasso broke barriers and created artwork that made a profound impact on the world, and our community members are creating groundbreaking designs every day that impact the world around them too,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “With a focus on electronic designs and a product as versatile as Raspberry Pi as the centerpiece for this challenge, there’s no limit to what our community can accomplish.”

Challengers can either push their boundaries by using the computing power of Pi as the brains of their artistic work or use it to improve the aesthetics of their surroundings. Sample projects could include:

• Raspberry Pi art installation
• Camera Vision processing art
• Internet connected installation
• Interactive wall paper
• Room lighting control
• Gallery control system
• Mobile VR experience

Designers can apply to participate in Pi-Casso through February 28 by submitting their proposal online. On March 8, up to 15 challengers will be notified and given the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, a Piface Digital 2, and a Raspberry Pi Camera V2 to build their design, but will only be required to use Raspberry Pi in their design. The challengers will have about 15 weeks to build their projects, and develop 10 blog posts sharing their progress with the element14 Community. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the element 14 Community and others on originality, innovation and technical merit. Winners will be announced in early June.

First prize winners will receive a MJI Mavic 2 Pro Videography Drone, second place winners will receive a Nikon D3500 DSLR, along with lenses and a lighting kit, and design challenge finishers will receive a Raspberry Pi Arcade Kit to help turn their Raspberry Pi into a miniature arcade cabinet.

To learn more about the ‘Pi-Casso’ Design Challenge, please visit www.element14.com/PiCasso

element14.com, the community for engineers, has launched “Design for a Cause,” its latest challenge featuring the Arduino MKR1000 development board as the key building block in assistive technology for individuals living with physical or mental impairments. Design for a Cause underscores the commitment of Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, to make the world a better place through innovative technology projects.

As part of this, element14 is launching a Design for Cause initiative on the community site to provide a creative and supportive space for makers looking to build projects with a purpose. From an engineer looking to upgrade a friend’s wheelchair, to designers creating malaria-hunting robots or even an accessible games controller, designers and engineers can leverage the element14 community for support in bringing their projects to life.

For the Design for a Cause challenge, element14 community members’ projects are tasked with making daily tasks easier for individuals living with physical or mental difficulties. Challengers are encouraged to post their code and methods as Open-Source to help inspire others to build the same or similar designs on their own.

“Our element14 community is passionate about helping others, and with Design for a Cause, we’re proud to be able to give them the space they need to develop new technologies to improve the day-to-day lives of others,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for Premier Farnell. “We’re excited to see how our makers leverage the Arduino MKR1000 development board to approach this challenge and create meaningful IoT projects that help individuals who need it most.”

Participants are provided with profiles of three individuals with physical or mental limitations including vision impairment, arthritis and loss of muscle function, who would benefit from assistance with everyday tasks. Challenge participants may choose to develop assistive technology for one of these three personas, or they can create a product to assist someone they know. Sample applications for the challenge could include:

• Open-Source Electric Wheelchair Conversion kit
• Smart Prosthetics
• Sense Replacement System
• Safer cooking options for people with sight impairments
• Mobility Aids
• Dexterity Aids
• Help with household appliances
• Proximity Detecting Canes
• Communication devices

Makers and engineers can apply to participate in the Design for a Cause challenge starting May 23 through June 13. On June 22, up to 20 challengers will be chosen to build their projects using the Arduino MKR1000. Those challengers will have 11 weeks to build their projects, and develop 10 blog posts sharing their progress with the element14 community. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges from Arduino and the element14 community on originality, innovation and technical merit.

The first place winner in the Design for a Cause design challenge will receive $900 to their favorite charity, a FLUKE 279 FC/IFLEX Digital Multimeter and a Tinkerkit Braccio Robotic Arm DIY Kit. The Runner up will receive $500 to their favorite charity, a Tenma 72-8474 Oscilloscope and Microduino Quadcopter w/Joypad. Design for a Cause finishers will receive a mystery prize.

To learn more about the Design for a Cause design challenge, please visit: www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/designforacause

Raspberry Pi, in collaboration with element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, today announced the winners of its “Pi Chef” Design Challenge. As one of five challenges that the element14 community runs each year, and the largest, 18 community members were tasked with using the Raspberry Pi development board as the main ingredient to advance the world of food through kitchen safety, food sustainability, or the creation of new preparation methods.

“At Premier Farnell, we’re proud to offer the broadest range of single board computers and development kits for makers and, through the elemement14 community, foster the creative and supportive environment they need to bring their projects to life,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 community. “The Pi Chef Design Challenge was a fun and creative way to showcase the innovation of our community members, as well as the Raspberry Pi board’s flexibility to work with different kinds of products.”

The element14 community team judges selected Grand Prize, Runner Up, and 3rd Prize winners of the Pi Chef Design Challenge:

• Grand Prize – James O’Gorman, USA – The Smart Range Hood is a custom built 40-inch range hood with extractor fan, video, heat sensors, air quality sensor and app using NodeRed, MQTT and Open Hab. It also has a special “husband summoning” button. O'Gorman won a Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine and a $1,500USD Premier Farnell shopping cart.

• Runner up – Jonathan Schooler, USA – The Cooker Connection is a smart smoker and grill with a custom app, temperature logging and vents. Schooler won a Whynter Ice-Cream Maker and a $750USD Premier Farnell shopping cart

• 3rd Prize – Avner Fernandes, India – Bake Mate is a baking assistant that weighs your ingredients and tells you how much of each you will need. Fernandes won a Breville Tea Maker and a $500USD Premier Farnell shopping cart.

The team also selected 12 Finishers from among the participants who received the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ and the GraspIO Cloudio development kit.

The Premier Farnell group has sold more than 10 million Raspberry Pi since it was first launched. Premier Farnell designs and manufactures Raspberry Pi accessories that help makers get the most out of this easy-to-use board, while the element14 community further supports the ecosystem by providing users with ideas and inspiration for getting the most of the technology.

To learn more about element14 Design Challenges and the community’s commitment to drive innovation and champion makers, visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges

element14.com, the community for engineers, has launched a new Design Challenge called “Bluetooth Unleashed.” This latest challenge encourages designers and engineers to uniquely showcase the power of Bluetooth technology by building a prototype using one of ten top selling Bluetooth development boards and underscores the commitment of  Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, to drive innovation and be a champion for makers and makers.

The Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge from Premier Farnell asks challengers to submit a project idea that harnesses the power of Bluetooth to inspire creativity and imagination. Projects can focus on anything from tracking pets, to multiplayer games and home automation. Challengers are encouraged to think creatively about how Bluetooth can be used to solve the problems facing them today.

“As connected devices continue to permeate our lives, we’re looking for innovative new project ideas that push the boundaries of Bluetooth technology,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 community. “Through the Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge, we’re excited to see how designers, engineers, makers and even parents apply the limitless power of Bluetooth technology to improve our world.”

Designers can apply to participate in Bluetooth Unleashed today through March 21. On March 27, up to 20 challengers will be chosen to build their projects using selected products, including one “Hero” Board and a $150 credit to be used at Premier Farnell. The challengers will have 11 weeks to build their projects, and develop 10 blog posts sharing their progress with the element14 community. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges from Premier Farnell, Avnet, and the element14 community on originality, innovation and technical merit.

The first, second and third place winners for the ‘Bluetooth Unleashed’ design challenge will receive $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 credits, respectively, at Newark element14 in North America, Farnell element14 in Europe and element14 in APAC.

Bluetooth Unleashed design challenge finishers will receive a signature finisher prize pack that includes a PocketBeagle® from BeagleBoard.org ®, Tenma Fume Extractor, Tenma Soldering Station and an element14 community backpack.

To learn more about the Bluetooth Unleashed Design Challenge, please visit www.element14.com/bluetoothunleashed

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element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, has announced the winners of its ‘IoT on Wheels’ design challenge, sponsored by STMicroelectronics. The contest demonstrates the impact of IoT-connected transportation solutions through original prototypes created by element14 community members, exemplifying the critical role technology plays in making transportation safer, smarter and more efficient. This latest design challenge from Premier Farnell, the development distributor, underscores the company’s commitment to drive innovation and be a champion for makers as they use technology to change the world for the better.

Over the course of 11 weeks, the participants focused on design, research, prototyping, coding and testing their IoT-connected transportation solutions and posted frequent blog posts throughout the process on their element14 project pages. To help build their projects, each participant received a complimentary kit from STMicroelectronics containing the STM32 Nucleo MCU development board along with a sensor expansion board, Bluetooth LE expansion board, and WiFi expansion board. The top three winners are:

• Grand Prize Winner – Traffic Predictor and Auto Pilot by Dixon Selvan – A traffic scanner using sonar technology, the device saves and uploads traffic data and uses the information to help people “avoid traffic like a bat.” As part of his design, Selvan created a motorized servo rig to attach to his motorbike that holds the sonar and STM32 Nucleo board steady as he zooms through open roads.

• Runner Up – Konker Connection by Douglas Wong – To make off-roading motorbiking adventures safer, Wong used the STM 32 Nucleo to monitor his GPS location, the position of his bike and the resonance sound of the gas tank to determine how much gas remains. As part of his design process, Wong used 3D printing on a curved gas tank and reverse engineered some of the Nucleo pin outs.

• Third Prize – Smart Drive by Sergey Vlasov – An open, public, Big-Data project to collect "red flag warnings" like emergency breaking or crash detection that would be logged and quickly shared with other drivers in close proximity to an accident.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media, element14 said: “We were blown away by all of the innovative designs the element14 community came up with for the ‘IoT on Wheels’ challenge and how they all showcased the integral role the Internet of Things plays in transportation. When we think about IoT, many of us just think about smart homes and wearables, but it is also playing a major role in making transportation safer and more efficient by making connected cars a reality.”

‘IoT on Wheels’ is the latest of the four design challenges held this year by the element14 community and Premier Farnell, which have all highlighted the ongoing role the community plays in driving innovation forward. The judges included element14 top member, Rachael Peterson, experts from STMicroelectronics and Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electronic, and Manufacturing Engineering.

To learn more about the ‘IoT on Wheels’ Design challenge, visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/iot-on-wheels

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Raspberry Pi, in collaboration with element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, has launched a new Design Challenge for designers and engineers called ‘Pi Chef.’ This partnership will be element14’s biggest Design Challenge of the year. Fifteen sponsored challengers will use their creativity and the Raspberry Pi as their main ingredient to improve the culinary process. Projects should show how the Raspberry Pi can be used to advance the world of food, whether it is through kitchen safety, food sustainability, or the creation of new preparation methods. Potential entries could include an intelligent kitchen scale, a commercial-grade ripening container, or even a Fridge2Sofa IoT Beer delivery system.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media, element14 said: “We have asked our community members to create a variety of projects with the Raspberry Pi, from IoT devices for the home to science-fiction inspired gadgets. For this competition we are focussing on food. Food has always been an important cultural touchstone but the increased availability of ingredients and new technology have elevated food and cooking into a sophisticated affair. Countless start-ups have appeared offering solutions for improving safety and enhancing the cooking experience. From Michelin-starred chefs to at-home gourmets, everyone is always on the lookout for a new device that will expand the possibilities of their kitchen.”

Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading said:“The Raspberry Pi has proved itself in many areas since it was first launched, over 5 years ago – we have even seen a Raspberry Pi in space. We are looking forward to introducing a new audience to the Raspberry Pi as challengers from the element14 community show how technology, built upon the Raspberry Pi, can enhance chefs’ experience in the kitchen.”

element14 will accept applications for the ‘Pi Chef’ Design Challenge until 1^st December 2017. Fifteen official challengers will be announced on 15^th December and will receive a complimentary kit containing the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, 8MP Raspberry Pi Camera, Raspberry Pi Sense HAT, NXP Explore NFC Expansion board, 2.4” Touch Screen HAT, and Piface Digital 2. Each of the 15 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos, and videos via the element14 Community.

Challengers will have until 2^nd March 2018 to submit their projects. Entries will be judged on originality, innovation, and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from Raspberry Pi and element14. The winners will be announced in March 2018.

The grand prize winner will receive a Brevill Barista Espresso Machine and a $1,500 USD Newark element14 cart. The runner-up prize is a Whynter Ice-Cream Maker and a $750 USD Newark element14 cart. The third-place prize is a Breville Tea Maker and a $500 USD Newark element14 cart. All challengers who complete their projects, use the Raspberry Pi, post 10+ updates in the Pi Chef space, and adhere to the requirements in the Terms and Conditions will receive a Tenma prize pack.

To learn more about the ‘Pi Chef’ Design challenge and to submit an entry, visit www.element14.com/PiChef or follow #pichef on Twitter.

element14, the Development Distributor, has launched element14 Cup Raspberry Pi Creative Design Competition- in China looking for innovative or practical applications of the Raspberry Pi. Contestants have full creative freedom allowing them to design devices that meet any need – from home automation to industrial application and beyond. The only criteria that must be met is the inclusion of a Raspberry Pi 3 model B in the design.

The Raspberry Pi 3B is the latest offering from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The new generation board is faster and more powerful than ever before and comes with built-in Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. The Raspberry Pi 3 is built on a new QUAD Core Broadcom BCM2837 64bit ARMv8 processor (running an ARMv7 operating system) at 1.20GHz, a significant increase from 900MHz on the Raspberry Pi 2. It has improved power management and an upgraded switched power source up to 2.5 Amps to support more powerful external USB devices. With support for Bluetooth Low Energy and Wireless LAN, the Raspberry Pi 3 can support new and exciting application areas ‘out of the box’, such as IoT connectivity, streaming to Bluetooth headphones or speakers, Wi-Fi gateways and home cloud storage.

Contestants may also consider one of a range of add-on devices available from element14 that can be used with the Raspberry Pi 3 to speed up design or broaden the application of the device.

• The Raspberry Pi SenseHAT attaches to the top of a Raspberry Pi through a 40-pin universal input and output, which has multiple IC-based sensors that can be used for many different types of experiments, applications and games. The SenseHAT includes a Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Magnetometer , Barometer, Temperature sensor, Relative humidity sensor, 8x8 RGB LED matrix display and 5-way joystick.

• The Raspberry Pi camera offers 8MP resolution and features an image sensor that enables the board to capture 3280 x 2464 pixel static images. The camera supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p90 video, and links to the Raspberry Pi board through a dedicated CSi interface. The NoIR camera v2 has a No InfraRed (NoIR) filter on the lens which makes it the perfect option for infrared photography and taking pictures in lowlight environments.

element14 offers the full range of accessories for the Raspberry Pi, including exclusive boards and add-on modules to enable new and innovative projects. For more information visit www.element14.com/raspberrypi

element14 is the Development Distributor, supporting customers as they design, build and bring products to market. Whether makers or engineers, element14 provides the latest technology alongside support and inspiration from the element14 community.

Applicants should sign up for the content and submit their solution plan online by 27^th October 2017. The best 50 solutions will be chosen to receive CNY 500 funding to develop their design for the opportunity to win a RMB 3000 shopping voucher*.

Completed designs should be submitted by uploading a detailed description of purpose and functionality, picture of the device or a video of how it works, by 4^th January 2018. Winners will be announced by the end of February 2018.

To find out more and submit an entry visit http://www.eeboard.com/rpi3-contest/

* Awards (1 x the 1st prize, 3 x the 2nd prize, 5 x the 3rd prize, 10 x the honorable prize)

• 1st prize（1）：RMB 3000 shopping voucher
• 2nd prize（3）：RMB 1000 shopping voucher
• 3rd prize（5）：RMB 500 shopping voucher
• honorable prize（10）： 1 BBC micro:bit (RMB 100)

element14, the world’s largest electronic design community, has announced winners of it’s ‘Safe and Sound’ design challenge. Sponsored by Texas Instruments, element14 challenged 15 community members to conceive and build a ‘safe and sound’ wearable to steer the world close to our vision of improving personal protection.

The application areas for this challenge were endless, touching on all areas of work and life, from walking home by one’s self late at night or working within an industrial setting with potential personal safety risks. The goal of the element14 Safe and Sound challenge was to solve personal safety risks with wearable technology.

The Judges were highly impressed by the variety of projects submitted for the challenge. The top two entries were:

• Grand Prize Winner, Douglas Wong from Canada created an Invisible Hazardous Environmental Factors Monitoring System (image left). A clear winner, the judges were highly impressed with the quality of this prototype which they believe could save many lives. His project scans the immediate environment for dangerous levels of radiation, carbon monoxide, dangerous alcohol levels and other toxic gasses to protect the wearer from harm. Modules have clean and easy-to-use user interfaces, coupled with neat and tidy 3D printed cases. The quality of videos, photos, code, and blog content produced was also exemplary.

• Runner Up, Dale Winhold, also from Canada developed a Cold Weather Survival Suit addressing the theme of the challenge perfectly. This project is a great working design concept for a product that could save lives and Dale's use of weaved flexible carbon strips was a great design choice.

The challenge also inspired the development of Safety Jackets for the Tolling Industry, Wearable tracking devices for miners and a T-shirt for Monitoring Elderly and Physically Challenged Patients. 

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Content and Community, element14 said: “This was an important challenge for the community as our members were developing products that could save lives in real world situations – I am delighted to say that they rose to the challenge once again. There is a strong spirit in the community, something which will value immensely, and this design challenge has seen our member push themselves and each other further than ever before. We were particularly impressed with the quality of the prototype developed by our grand prize winner Douglas Wong – an entry that has real potential in the marketplace. ”

Jan Pape – Director of Distribution EMEA, at Texas Instruments said: “Through the latest “Safe&Sound challenge”, the element14 community is proving to me again the true value of our partnership with PremierFarnell/element14. Having the opportunity to expose really great innovative minds to those technologies, which we at TI believe will help to make the world a better and safer place, continues to be very exciting and valuable to us. I would like to congratulate all the participants for a great job done, as well as element14 for running another very stimulating and exciting design challenge with technologies and solutions from Texas Instruments.”

Entries were judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from Texas Instruments and element14. The winners posted blogs and videos during the competition and you can find out more about their individual projects by visiting https://www.element14.com/safeandsound

The application areas for this challenge and ability to use unlimited components to complete an original electronics-based project offered true design freedom, an opportunity that the challengers did not turn down.

The top three entries are:

• Grand Prize Winner Carmelito Andrade from the United States, upcycled a mirrored clock into a truly functional household IoT Hub, using the Intel Edison to help users prepare for their day ahead. The clock provides an update on the weather, temperature, and traffic, as well as presenting new emails and even the latest news from social media. The judges were impressed with the use of fabrication techniques used, such as 3D printing, to incorporate new technology whilst maintaining the retro look of the clock.

• Runner Up, Jason Wier, also from the United States upcycled the APC AP9211, a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) produced in 1999 into a functional modern IoT Power Distribution Unit. He used the Intel Edison to host a custom, responsive web interface which controls the PDU relays from a wireless, handheld device. The unit also communicated with his home hub to manage temperature and lights and displayed graphs of the captured data. The judges felt that Jason designed a highly marketable project that they could see on the shelves of their local electronics store.

• Third Place Winner, Gerrit Polder from the Netherlands upcycled Electomatic’s Impulszähler EZK impulse counter into a web scraping value display device. Although the data displayed was relatively simple, the method for gathering and displaying information really caught the judges' imagination. He used the Intel Edison to find and display time, date, temperature, humidity and pressure, scrape and display blog ‘views’ and ‘likes’ and make the display speak with a connected Wireless Bluetooth speaker.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Content and Community, element14 said: “The Upcycle it design challenge has been really exciting to watch. We were delighted to see so many innovative ideas come through, upcycling retro items with electronics to serve a purpose in the 21^st century – and proving that upcycling is not just about furniture and art. I am constantly inspired by the ideas that come up, and also through the sense of community that these design challenges create as our members support each other on their journeys.”

Entries were judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from Intel® and element14. The winners posted blogs and videos during the competition and you can find out more about their individual projects by visiting https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/upcycleit

Engineers and makers inspired to get involved in a design challenge should visit the element14 community to enter ‘IoT on Wheels’, sponsored by ST Microelectronics, where they can demonstrate the power of IoT-connected transport solutions by creating a prototype that shows how current technologies can make today’s vehicles safer, smarter and more efficient.  Initial entries are open until 14^th August.

element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, has launched a new Design Challenge for designers and engineers called ‘IoT on Wheels’. Sponsored by STMicroelectronics, element14 is looking for 10 community members to demonstrate the power of IoT-connected transport solutions by creating a prototype that shows how current technologies can make today’s vehicles safer, smarter and more efficient.

When we think about The Internet of Things many of us think about smart homes and wearables but IoT is also playing a major role in making transportation more efficient and helping us get from place to place more quickly, by making connected cars a reality. By 2020, it is estimated that over 381 million connected cars will be on the road, up from 36 million in 2016 (BI Intelligence). Many will already be familiar with the benefits that a connected vehicle can bring – from improving your travel experience by providing access to music streaming whilst driving, to reducing car insurance bills by monitoring driver behaviour and allowing insurers to assess risk and pricing of premiums more accurately.

This new Design Challenge from element14 is looking for inspirational prototypes that might change the way we travel, improve our commute or make us safer when we are on the road – and the challenge extends to all forms of transport – whether that is four wheels or even one! Experienced hardware modder, Ben Heck will be participating in the challenge on The Ben Heck show – providing inspiration for the challengers and others wishing to participate.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media, element14 said: 

“The element14 community is launching a new and exciting design challenge, sponsored by ST Microelectronics. We are looking to our community members to come up with something special that could really change the way we travel. With Britons spending more than a year of their lives in traffic jams and 248 days searching for a parking places *– we want our challengers to consider how we can make our vehicles safer, smarter or more efficient, incorporating the ST Microelectornics STM32 Nucleo.”

element14 will accept applications for the ‘IoT on Wheels’ challenge from now until 14th August 2017. Ten official challengers will be announced on 28^th August who will receive a complimentary kit containing the STM32 Nucleo MCU development board along with a sensor expansion board, Bluetooth LE expansion board, WiFi expansion board, all from ST Microelectronics. Each of the 10 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

Challengers will have until 13^th November 2017 to submit their projects. Entries will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from ST Microelectronics, Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electronic, and Manufacturing Engineering and element14 top member judge, Rachael Peterson.

The winners will be announced in December 2017.

The grand prize winner will receive a bundle of products worth over $1700 including a Segway MiniPRO, Oculus Rift and Touch VR Headset and Duratool Crimp Kit. The Second Prize Bundle is worth over $1000 containing a Pioneer GPS Cycle Computer Bundle, GoPro Hero 5 Black Action Camera and Soldering Iron, hot knife & Heat Tool Kit. The Third Prize Bundle worth over $800 containing a Traxxas Slash Radio Controlled Car pro, QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones and a Tenma Programmable Bench Power Supply. All Challengers who submit a completed project will receive a Duratool Electronic Tool Kit, Duratool Heat Gun and a Tenma Handheld Digital Multimeter.

To learn more about the ‘IoT on Wheels’ Design challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://www.element14.com/iotonwheels

Notes to editors

* Research by British Parking Association, 2017

Upcycling is a concept that began in the 1990s and is also known as “Creative Reuse”. This is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. Upcycling is a great way to reuse materials and reduce our environmental footprint on the planet and has become a phenomenon in recent years with the number of products on Etsy or Pinterest tagged with the word ‘upcycled’ increasing from 7,900 in January 2010 to hundreds of thousands today.

Now it is the turn of engineers to make their mark. The application areas for this challenge are endless and members can build using unlimited components to complete an original electronics-based project, allowing true freedom for the challengers and others wishing to make their mark.

element14 invites all engineers, DIY hobbyists and tinkerers to upcycle an obsolete item, computer or appliance and make a useful IoT device. Engineers looking for inspiration can watch Ben Heck’s take on the challenge when he upcycled an 80s "ghetto blaster" using an Intel Edison kit for Arduino .

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Content and Community, element14 said: “We are hoping that the ‘Upcycle it’ challenge will really get our members excited. We all face the duel challenge of trying to reduce our footprint on the planet, whilst living within our means. Being environmentally friendly is sometimes seen as something that costs more – this challenge aims to show that this isn’t the case. We are asking our members to take something useless and make it useful. We are looking forward to seeing a diverse range of entries that can inspire us all.”

element14 will accept applications for the ‘Upcycle it’ challenge from now until 3^rd March 2017. Fifteen official challengers will be announced on 14th March 2017 who will receive a complimentary Kit containing the Intel® Edison Kit for Arduino, Arduino Protoshield R3, a Grove Starter Kit for Arduino, AC/DC power supply and USB cable. Each of the 15 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

Finalists will have until 4^th June, 2017 to submit their projects. Entries will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from Intel® and element14. The winners will be announced by the end of June 2017.

The grand prize winner will receive a bundle of products worth over $4,000 containing a Keithley DMM7510, a 7 1/2–Digit Graphical Sampling Multimeter, Dremel 4000 MultiTool Kit and Weller Digital Soldering Station. There is also a Second Prize Bundle worth over $800 containing a Motorola Moto 360 Watch, Dremel 4000 MultiTool Kit, an Emulation Technology ET-413 USB 2MP Pen Microscope and Weller Digital Soldering Station and Third Prize Bundle worth over $500 containing a Fossil Marshal Touch Screen Watch, Dremel 4000 MultiTool Kit and Weller WES51 Analog 50W Soldering Station. All Challengers who submit a completed project will receive a finisher’s bundle worth over $100 comprising a Duratool Hot Air Gun and Soldering Tool Kit, and a NTE Electronics Heat Shrink Tubing Kit.

To learn more about the ‘Upcycle it’ design challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://www.element14.com/upcycleit

element14, the world’s largest electronic design community, has launched a new Design Challenge for designers and engineers called ‘Safe and Sound’. Sponsored by Texas Instruments (TI), element14 will challenge 15 community members to design a personal safety-oriented wearable device or solution that protects a person from personal and environmental risks, monitors personal health or protects personal property from theft.

The application areas for this challenge are endless, touching on all areas of work and life, whether you are walking home by one’s self late at night or working within an industrial setting with potential personal safety risks. The goal of the element14 Safe and Sound challenge is to solve personal safety risks with wearable technology - integrating technology into a wearable device such as clothing, a wristwatch, a necklace, a pendant or an arm band.

element14 invites entries from electronic engineers, performance apparel designers and makers to conceive and build any ‘safe and sound’ wearable to steer the world close to our vision of improving personal protection.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Content and Community, element14 said: “The members of the element14 Community always surprise and delight us with their response to our Design Challenges. The wearables market is an area that demands innovation and creativity, and we are confident that our members can rise to the challenge and put their skills to work to highlight and address key challenges faced by employers and employees as they stay safe at work or at home.”

element14 will accept applications for the Safe and Sound challenge from now until January 27, 2017. Fifteen official challengers will be announced on February 13, 2017. Challengers are required to integrate TI’s low-power and high-performance MSP432™ microcontroller (MCU), via the MSP432 LaunchPad™ development kit, as the main application MCU in to their design, but are also encouraged to incorporate additional components from the official Design Challenge Kit provided by element14. For full product details review the kit list at www.element14.com/safeandsound. Each of the 15 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

Punya Prakash, product line manager, MSP microcontrollers, TI, said: ““Technology is our passion. We are constantly working to redefine what’s possible and create opportunities for TI technology to improve people’s lives in every region of the world. In this challenge, we are eager to see the element14 community help enable a safer environment through innovation and creativity. We are excited to see what community members can come up with – and look forward to helping engineers use the latest technology from TI .”

Finalists will have until May 12^th, 2017 to submit their projects. Entries will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of judges including experts from TI and the wearables sector. The winners will be announced by the end of May 2017.

The grand prize winner will receive a DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter worth $1600 and the runner up will receive a DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter worth $800. All other completed projects published on element14 will receive an RF Sports Watch with USB Data Logger and 96 Segment LCD Display.

To learn more about the ‘Safe and Sound’ design challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://www.element14.com/safeandsound

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British-born Liam Lacey’s Vintage Toy Synthesiser, which turns a vintage wooden toy piano into a standalone digital hardware synthesiser using the BeagleBone Black, has won element14’s global Music Tech Design Challenge.

As part of his prize-package Liam receives an access-all-areas trip to the 10^th annual Music Tech Fest (#MTFBerlin) taking place from 27^th – 30^th May at Berlin’s legendary Funkhaus recording studios; an event which brings together innovative presenters, inventors, performers, hackers, makers, developers of novel instruments and emerging artists to explore the new frontiers of music technology. During #MTFBerlin Liam will also present his winning project live on stage as part of the element14 sponsored Hack Camp.

The element14 Hack Camp will be held in the the event’s central maker zone where other attendees are able to watch as new inventions take shape over the course of the day.

#MTFBerlin received over 150 applications to the Hack Camp and will allow 50 selected hackers and inventors to participate onsite. element14 is providing the competitors with kits that include a BeagleBone Black, Raspberry Pi, Arduino boards, microphones, speakers, and LEDs to create their designs.

Ben, Felix and Max from element14’s ‘The Ben Heck Show’ will also be on hand to film an episode at the festival. Ben and Felix will lend expertise to the 50 participants – running from 12pm Saturday 28^th until 12pm Sunday 29^th.

All participants competing in the Hack Camp will present their final invention on stage – with the winner awarded a £1,740 ‘ultimate shopping cart’ from element14.com.

element14, the world’s largest electronic design community, launches today its 2016 Pi IoT Smarter Spaces Design Challenge featuring the new Bluetooth and wireless enabled Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer. The Pi IoT Smarter Spaces competition is challenging members to invent IoT-powered solutions that allow users to control the multiple Internet-enabled devices in any environment– be it their home, workspace, media room, backyard and more.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Content and Community at element14 said:

"There are so many Internet-enabled devices in every environment. What we’re asking our members to create is a command center that presents a new way of interacting with and controlling multiple devices in any type of personal or business space.  We are looking forward to seeing the innovation and know-how of the Challengers and what types of unique spaces and devices they combine."

Thanks to a burgeoning Internet of Things, connected technologies and systems have never been more prevalent. Through this Design Challenge, element14 is tapping into the ingenuity and creativity of their 400,000-member Community to create IoT control centers that can boost efficiency and accessibility while adopting more sustainable practices. There is no limit on the number or type of smart devices members can incorporate. The Raspberry Pi 3 is the only mandatory component for Challengers to work into their projects.

element14 will accept applications for sponsored Challengers from now until Friday, May 13. Fifteen official Challengers will be announced on May 23 and will have 14 weeks to create their projects before the August 29 submission deadline.

Submissions to the Pi IoT Design Challenge will be evaluated by a judging panel made up of leaders in the IoT components industry, including Roger Thornton, Principal Hardware Engineer at Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.

Challengers will receive a free Raspberry Pi 3 and Pi IoT Kit from element14, including a Raspberry Pi LCD 7” Touchscreen, Sense Hat, NEW Pi Camera v2 and v2 NoIR Camera, Pi Rack, Wi-Fi Dongle and more. Submissions will be judged on creativity, versatility, use of technologies and exploration of the previously unthinkable.

The grand prize winner will receive a ROBOX 3D Printer Kit and DURATOOL Kit from element14, valued at $2400. The second and third place winners will receive similar prizes ranging in value from $200-$700, and all participants who publish a complete project will receive a DURATOOL Tool and Rotary Access Kit.

To learn more about the Pi IoT Smarter Spaces Design Challenge and to submit an entry, visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/piot.

The 13 challengers in the Make Life Accessible Design Challenge, their home countries and their solutions include:

• Yao Feng, China: Intelligent elbow motion assist module
• Ambrogio Galbusera, Italy: Eye tracker and automated drawing system
• Douglas Wong, Canada: Solar powered device to direct sunlight to melt snow
• David Delebassee, Belgium: Pen cap remover
• Graham Webber, Saudi Arabia: Smart storage system
• Brenda Armour, Canada: Mobile resting station to lift cats
• Carlos Rios, Mexico: Vibrating glove for two way communication
• Benjamin Bonnal, Switzerland: Automated bedside drawer opener
• Mocanu Andreea Catalina, Romania: Motorized guiding stick for people with unusual impairment
• Alexandros Pilios, Netherlands: Motorized Brain Assist. Modular system (MOBRAS)
• Scott Coppersmith, United States: Motorized articulating table top
• Bram Kools, Netherlands: Adjustable room furniture
• Tyler Roush, United States: Motorized carousel system to reach high cupboards

Challengers have until June 6 to build and submit their projects to be eligible for prizes. element14 will provide an official Design Challenge Kit and NXP Freedom Development Board, which challengers are required to use in their design.

Final projects will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of expert judges including NXP’s Mark Houston and Benjamin Heckendorn, host of element14’s The Ben Heck Show. The winners will be announced on June 21 and their awards will be the following:

• Grand Prize – Design will be featured on element14’s The Ben Heck Show and the designer will receive an NXP High-Voltage Development Platform Kit, Oculus Rift, Oculus Touch Controller and Go Pro Hero 4 Black
• Second Prize – The designer will receive an Oculus Rift and an Oculus Touch Controller
• Third Prize – The designer will receive a GoPro Hero Session

All Challengers who submit a completed project will receive NHT Superbuds. Each of the 13 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

To learn more about the Make Life Accessible Challenge and follow along with the 13 challengers, visit https://www.element14.com/makelifeaccessible.

With a wide range of accessibility and mobility solutions needed, participants have the opportunity to showcase their skills by creating designs that cater to a variety of groups including the elderly, military veterans, motorcyclists, athletes, children and more.

element14 will accept applications for the Make Life Accessible Design Challenge from now until Feb. 19. Fifteen official challengers will be announced on March 1. Challengers are required to use the NXP Freedom Development Board in their design, but are also encouraged to incorporate additional components from the official Design Challenge Kit provided by element14. Each of the 15 challengers will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

Challengers will be invited to attend on the Community an Assistive Domotics Webinar hosted by NXP on Feb. 3 to learn more about how motor control addresses accessibility issues, technology trends for improving quality of life and more. Registration is free and now open.

Finalists will have until May 6 to submit their projects. Entries will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit by a panel of expert judges including NXP’s Mark Houston and Ben Heck, host of element14’s The Ben Heck Show. The winners will be announced on May 21.

The grand prize winning design will be featured on element14’s The Ben Heck Show and the designer will receive an NXP High-Voltage Development Platform, Oculus Rift, Oculus Touch Controller and Go Pro Hero 4 Black. The second and third place winners will receive similar prizes ranging from $700 to $1200.

To learn more about the Make Life Accessible Challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/makelifeaccessible.

A hydroponic “Modular Farm” project has been named the winner of element14’s Vertical Farming Design Challenge. The contest invited 15 engineers to create sustainable, IoT-enabled indoor farming solutions that can translate to industrial food production practices around the world.

Created by element14 member Jose Marques of Portugal, the “Modular Farm” features a simple, modular automated system to facilitate the indoor growth of fruits and vegetables. Based on hydroponics, Jose’s design employed a water-based, mineral nutrient solution (in place of soil) combined with a web-based monitoring system and renewable energy source.

The “Automated Green House” project from Michael Ratcliffe of the U.K. came in second place, and James O’Donnell of the U.S. placed third for his “Vertical Hydroponics Farm.”

Jose’s project earned him the top prize – a military-grade portable solar power kit, the Nest® Learning Thermostat™, a Wurth Elektronik Energy Harvesting Kit featuring the EFM32GG Giant Gecko M3 Kit from Silicon Labs and a $250 donation to the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) in his name – all valued at $2,000.

Michael will receive a foldable solar panel, Nest Learning Thermostat, and $250 donation to the AFV in his name, and James will receive a Nest Learning Thermostat and $250 donation to the AFV in his name. All of the challengers who completed their projects will have $100 donated to the association in their names.

The “Modular Farm” project was chosen by a panel of expert judges, including Simon Leuz, distribution sales manager at Würth Elektronik.

Entries were judged on originality, innovation, technical merit, and the resulting crops. Participants used kits of IoT-enabled technologies from Silicon Labs and Würth Elektronik. to build their projects, with support from experts at Green Spirit Farmsand the Association for Vertical Farming who helped guide challengers though the indoor growing and harvesting process.

The Vertical Farming Design Challenge is part of a broader Engineering a Connected World initiative from the element14 Community. Part of the initiative included the Engineering a Connected World survey and report which found, among other things, that consumers globally view agriculture/food production as one of the primary areas where technology and innovation should be focused.

To view content from all 15 Vertical Farming challengers, or to learn more about the award-winning, element14 Community of design engineers and technology enthusiasts, visit http://www.element14.com/verticalfarming.

element14, the world’s largest electronic design community, has launched its latest Design Challenge – the Music Tech Challenge. Sponsored by BeagleBoard.org Foundation and CadSoft, element14 challenges Community members to build a musical device that can enable and extend the ability to manipulate audio.

element14 will accept applications for the Music Tech Challenge from now until 7th December, and finalists will be chosen based on the designs proposed. Participants are required to use the BeagleBone Black in their design, but are encouraged to also incorporate additional components from the Musical Tech Kit provided by element14.

On 14th December, element14 will announce those members who were selected to receive the free Kit – although the Design Challenge is open to anyone using a BeagleBone Black. All Challengers will have until 14th March to create their builds. element14 will provide each participant with the open source BeagleBone Black, and a 1-year license for the ECAD-MCAD Product Design Suite, including: Autodesk Fusion 360, CadSoft EAGLE Pro, and Simplified Solutions IDF-to-3D Conversion.

Entries will be judged on originality, innovation and technical merit. The winner will be announced on 29th March. Each of the 15 competitors will also provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community.

This challenge comes on the heels of element14’s Engineering a Connected World initiative which included a study that found, among other things, that the growth and support of the open source development community has made the tools, instruments and technology to create music more widely accessible than ever before. The program, of which the report is a part, is designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other, and to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

To learn more about the Music Tech Challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://element14.com/musictech.

A Star Trek-inspired medical examination kit has been identified as the winner in element14’s “Sci Fi Your Pi” design competition, sponsored by Pi Trading. The competition invited 25 individuals from around the world to create devices inspired by their favorite science fiction films, television shows and books using the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B+ from element14.

The winning design, “Meditech,” created by element14 member Enrico Miglino of Spain, features a multimeter and the Pi 2, which together measure a variety of biometric signals. Inspired by the Star Trek series, Meditech is a portable multi-tool examination kit measuring heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and blood glucose. It can also assess eye health and do body surface image analysis. Enrico plans to take Meditech into production and is currently working on pre-production of the first 10 units. 

Three other finalists were identified as part of the challenge. Michael Hahn (U.S.) also drew inspiration from Star Trek to build a scientific tricorder that can evaluate the environment’s atmospheric conditions, temperature and humidity. Finalist Joey Thompson (U.S.) built a QuadCop, a low-cost, custom-built quadcopter that performs security screenings, inspired by the Terminator series. Frederick Vandenbosch (Belgium), created a PiDesk, which leverages the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B+ to turn an ordinary work desk into an interactive series of touch and motion controls, similar to the one featured in the Tron Legacy franchise. 

The Sci Fi Your Pi challenge is the latest in a series of competitions as part of element14’s “Engineering a Connected World” initiative, which is designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other.

“element14 congratulates Enrico and all of the other finalists who took part in and successfully completed the Sci Fi Your Pi challenge,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “The response to this competition was incredible, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching our participants mix creativity and engineering to bring the power of the Raspberry Pi 2 to life.”

Enrico’s project won the top prize – $500 worth of sci-fi movie memorabilia, including an actual Boba Fett bounty hunter helmet used in film production. Meditech was chosen by a panel of expert judges, including Director of Hardware Engineering James Adams of Pi Trading.

“For decades, science fiction films, television shows and literature have inspired fans all over the world to bring their most ambitious project ideas to life, and the Raspberry Pi is not much different,” Adams said. “Pi Trading was delighted to partner with element14 for the Sci Fi Your Pi challenge, and we thoroughly enjoyed following all of the competitors on their journey from ideation to completion.”

Competitors were judged on the innovativeness of their designs, as well as the level of inspiration drawn from the world of science fiction. To aid in their designs, each competitor received a full suite of Raspberry Pi accessories from element14, including the PiFace Control & Display, Raspberry Pi B+ and Raspberry Pi A+ boards and PiFace Digital. Competitors were also given a free license for CadSoft Eagle, the market-leading PCB design software, to execute their projects.

To view content from all 25 Sci Fi Your Pi challengers, as well as a gallery of downloadable movie posters inspired by the finalists’ projects, visit www.element14.com/scifiyourpi. 

A wearable impact and health monitor was named the winner in the “Sudden Impact” design competition, organized by the element14 Community. As part of the challenge, 12 individuals from around the world competed to develop wearable health solutions that can detect and even prevent sports-related injuries.

The winning design, created by element14 member Cosmin Iorga of the U.S., features a main helmet unit that measures head impact, body temperature, tilt, global positioning and even brain activity. A separate electrocardiogram chest module measures heart rate, and both units provide data and alerts to an Android smartphone app. A real-time player monitoring system from Ravi Butani of India took home runner-up honors.

The Sudden Impact competition is a part of the community’s “Engineering a Connected World” initiative designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other. As part of that initiative element14 surveyed 3,500 adults worldwide, and 68 percent agreed healthcare should be top priority in technology and innovation moving forward. 

“Big congratulations to Cosmin, Ravi and all of the ambitious challengers who took part in the Sudden Impact design competition,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “As with most real-world problems today, element14 believes engineers can create a preventative solution to the issue of impact-related sports injuries. We’re particularly proud of leading an initiative that athletes and consumers alike want to see addressed.”

“Tektronix congratulates Cosmin and Ravi for the innovation and design work that led to them winning the Sudden Impact Challenge” said Gina Bonini, Director Americas Marketing for Tektronix. “To develop working wearable prototypes requires a keen sense of market needs and the knowledge and skill to manipulate advanced technologies to achieve the desired result. The health monitor designs the winners and the other 12 contestants submitted are truly remarkable and could well point the way to improved sports injury prevention.”

Cosmin’s project won the top prize - a Tektronix MD03104 Oscilloscope valued at $14,200, MacBook Air and Withings Home HD Sensor - for its diagnostic capabilities, portability and replicability. Ravi will take home a CEL-Robox 3D printer as the runner up. Each completed solution was rigorously tested by researchers at the School of Computing, Creative Technologies and Engineering at Leeds Beckett University.

“Impact injuries have led to detrimental consequences for athletes all over the world and advancements in wearable systems and sensors are enabling engineers to develop creative solutions to this problem,” said Professor Reinhold Behringer of Leeds Beckett University. “Congratulations to all of the participants of the Sudden Impact challenge. We’re proud to have played a role in evaluating and testing each of these talented competitors’ projects.”

Behringer and his team judged each project in categories that included: ambition and sophistication, setup and installation, usability, measurements and cost effectiveness.

The other projects that were tested included: a real-time coach and athlete monitoring system from Austin Horning in the U.S.; a sudden impact helmet and uniform sensor system by Dragan Knezevic in Serbia; a helmet-mounted ski monitor from Hendrik Lipka in Germany and a helmet-mounted trauma monitor and heart reactor by Douglas Wong in Canada.

To aid in their designs, all 12 participants receive a kit of advanced components from Analog Devices, a Tektronix MSO2024B oscilloscope, advanced polymers from Electrolube and a $500 budget from Newark element14 for additional parts and purchases. Each competitor who finished will receive a Withings Plus Sports Watch to monitor their activity, track sleep and improve overall health.

To view content from all 12 Sudden Impact challengers or to learn more about the award-winning, 350,000-member element14 Community of design engineers and technology enthusiasts, visit www.element14.com/suddenimpact.

element14, the world’s largest online community for design engineers and technology enthusiasts, has selected the 15 finalists who will take part in their new Vertical Farming Design Challenge. These individuals will build indoor vertical gardens using IoT technologies and methods that have the potential to change how food is produced around the world.

“The vertical farming industry presents a real opportunity to address food shortages spurred by environmental and population changes,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “The Vertical Farming Design Challenge is just one of element14’s newest initiatives to solve pressing real-world problems by empowering engineers with the technology and resources needed to find a lasting solution. We’re excited to see what our participants come up with and are proud to be at the forefront of these efforts.”

The 15 participants in the Vertical Farming Design Challenge, and their home countries, are as follows:

• Ognyan Chikov, Bulgaria
• Keith Earns, United States
• John Henderson, United States
• Calla Klafas, Australia
• Erik Lau, United States
• José Marques, Portugal
• James O’Donnell, United States
• Kowshik E Patel, India
• Michael Ratcliffe, United Kingdom
• Rick Reynolds, United States
• Clem Martins, United States
• Ajit Singh, India
• Shane Sissons, United Kingdom
• Joshua Tsai, United States
• Srinivasan Kanni Udaiyar, India

Competitors have until November 2 to create their indoor vertical farms. element14 will provide each participant with a kit of IoT-enabled technologies from Silicon Labs and Wurth Elektronik to help with the designs. Green Spirit Farms, FarmedHere and the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) will guide challengers though the growing and harvesting process – providing recommendations on moisture, lighting and humidity ranges to be aware of when planting the crops and the optimal time to transfer and harvest those crops.

Along with the resulting crops, entries will be judged on originality, innovation, technical merit and data points collected. The grand prize, second and third prize winners will be announced on November 17 and their awards will be the following:

• Grand Prize – A Global Solar SUNLINQ™ 62-Watt Foldable Solar Panel Kit, The Nest® Learning Thermostat™, a Wurth Elektronik Energy Harvesting Kit and a $250 donation to the AVF in the challenger’s name.
• Second Prize – The ALLPOWERS™ 18V 28W Foldable Solar Charger, The Nest® Learning Thermostat™, and a $250 donation to the AVF in the challenger’s name.
•  Third Prize – The Nest® Learning Thermostat™, and a $250 donation to the AFV in the challenger’s name.

All Challengers who submit a completed project will receive a one year membership to the AVF and a $100 donation to the AVF in the challenger’s name. Each competitor will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community. 

The Vertical Farming Challenge is the latest competition as part of a broader Engineering a Connected World initiative from the element14 Community. The program, which includes a worldwide study of more than 3,500 consumers, is designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other, and to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

To learn more about the Vertical Farming Design Challenge and follow along with the 15 competitors, visit http://www.element14.com/verticalfarming.

A miniature IoT-enabled cottage was named the winner in the “Enchanted Objects” design competition, organized by the element14 Community. As part of the challenge,  15 individuals from around the world competed to give new life to everyday objects by “enchanting” them with the power of the Internet of Things.

The competition is a part of the community’s “Engineering a Connected World” initiative designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other, and to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

The winning design, created by element14 member Andy Clark of the United Kingdom, transforms a miniature cottage into a state-of-the-art smart house, complete with real-time weather reports, color-changing LED lights and thermometer with temperature display. Clark will take home the top prize – a trip to Maker Faire New York on Sept. 26 and 27, 2015.

“element14 congratulates Andy and all of the challengers who took part in the Enchanted Objects design competition,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “All of the finalists’ projects are great representations of the power of the IoT and how we can give new meaning to ordinary objects.”

Competitors were judged on their ability to accurately capture information, the level of convenience for non-technical users, cost-effectiveness and durability. Bonus points were given to those projects demonstrating the appropriate data security measures were taken into consideration.

To aid in their designs, participants received the Atmel SAMA5D4 Xplained Ultra Kit from global electronics distributor element14.

Other proposed projects included an enchanted clock from Canada, enchanted bedside lamp from Sri Lanka, enchanted shoes from the U.S. and enchanted windows from India.

To view content from all 15 Enchanted Objects challengers or to learn more about the award-winning, 350,000-member element14 Community of design engineers and technology enthusiasts, visit www.element14.com/enchantedobjects.

element14, the world’s largest electronic design community, announces today the launch of its latest design competition – the Vertical Farming Challenge. Sponsored by Silicon Labs and Wurth Elektronik, with support from the The Association for Vertical Farming and Green Spirit Farms, element14 will select 15 engineers to build indoor vertical gardens using technologies and methods that have the potential to change how food is produced around the world.

“The Vertical Farming challenge is one of our most unique design competitions to date,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “The vertical farming industry presents a real opportunity to address growing concerns surrounding overpopulation, environmental changes and food production. The engineer can play a critical role in developing solutions to those concerns, and we’re proud to empower 15 finalists with the technologies and resources they need to find those solutions.”

The challenge comes on the heels of element14’s Engineering a Connected World report which found, among other things, that consumers globally view agriculture/food production as one of the primary areas where technology and innovation should be focused.

element14 will accept applications for the Vertical Farming Challenge from June 8 to July 17, and finalists will be chosen based on the solutions proposed. Entries should include solutions for: environmental monitoring (light, temperature and humidity), water and feeding systems, a growing surface that expands beyond the overall footprint of the build and energy monitoring to collect data on the system’s overall consumption of power and water.

Finalists will be announced on July 28 and the chosen competitors will have until November 2 to create their indoor vertical farms. element14 will provide each participant with a kit of IoT-enabled technologies to help with the designs, and Green Spirit Farms and The Association for Vertical Farming will guide challengers though the growing and harvesting process.

“We’re honored to be advising the individuals that will take part in the Vertical Farming Challenge,” said Milan Kluko, Founder and President at Green Spirit Farms. ”Electronic engineers are uniquely positioned to create innovative technology and new systems that can make all indoor growing systems more efficient and sustainable in urban areas where access to fresh food can be limited. Green Spirit Farms will guide element14’s challengers through the growing and harvesting process so every participant’s ‘indoor farm’ has the chance to maximize their respective crop yield using their innovative approaches to Controlled Environment Agriculture.”

Throughout the competition finalists will receive recommendations on moisture, lighting and humidity ranges to be aware of when planting the crops and the optimal time to transfer and harvest those crops. Along with the resulting crops, entries will be judged on originality, innovation, technical merit and data points collected. The winner will be announced on November 17. Each of the 15 competitors will provide weekly updates on their progress through blog posts, photos and videos via the element14 Community. 

The Vertical Farming Challenge is the latest competition as part of a broader Engineering a Connected World initiative from the element14 Community. The program, of which the report is a part, is designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other, and to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

To learn more about the Vertical Farming Design Challenge and to submit an entry, visit http://www.element14.com/verticalfarming.

A real-time carbon footprint monitoring system was named the winner in the “In the Air” design competition, sponsored by the element14 Community, in which 15 engineers from around the world competed to develop pollution measurement applications inspired by the Internet of Things (IoT) movement. The competition was supported by Cisco Systems, Texas Instruments (TI), Wurth Elektronik, The Eclipse Foundation, Sierra Wireless and Keysight Technologies.

The winning design, created by element14 member Christever del Rosario of New Zealand, allows users to monitor their carbon footprint in real time and make adjustments to their activity based on triggers and “daily allowance” warnings provided by del Rosario’s device. del Rosario took home the top prize – a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, a U1273A OLED Multimeter from Keysight and a SimpleLink™ Bluetooth® Smart SensorTag – for his design, courtesy of TI with additional support from Sierra Wireless.

“We congratulate all of the challengers for their hard work and commend them on their eye for innovation,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “Christever’s design and those of the other 14 participants demonstrate how element14 is ‘Engineering a Connected World’ by providing cutting-edge technologies like IoT and wireless power to combat issues like global warming.”

Connected technologies continue to rise to prominence in the eyes of both professional engineers and the public. In a global study of more than 3,500 adults as part of its “Engineering a Connected World” initiative, element14 found most people believe renewable energy (56 percent) and the environment (47 percent) should be a top priority for technology and innovation. These findings make initiatives like the In the Air challenge all the more relevant as growing numbers of people seek support when developing innovative solutions to everyday problems such as pollution.

“The Clean Air Design Challenge projects are truly inspiring as they look to solve a real-world environmental issue,” said Amit Hammer, product line manager, Wireless Connectivity Solutions, TI. “It’s exciting for us to see our SimpleLink ultra-low power wireless MCU platform leveraged in these creative designs from such promising developers. As the IoT continues to gain traction we look forward to bringing connectivity everywhere, including when it comes to our environment.”

Alongside del Rosario, Inderpreet Singh of India was named Community Choice Winner for his “Firecracker Aftermath Analyzer,” an air pollution analyzer equipped with a full range of sensors to monitor for air temperature, NO2 and carbon monoxide levels, particulates, humidity, oxygen and sulphur-based gases. Singh received a 13-inch MacBook Air and SimpleLink Bluetooth Smart  SensorTag for his winning entry.

element14 also named two Honorable Mentions of the In the Air challenge. Ambrogio Galbusera of Italy was recognized for his AirMobile, a vehicle sensor and pollution monitor powered by heat from the car’s radiator that delivers data in real time to the driver’s smartphone. Janis Alnis of Latvia also won Honorable Mention for his Air Quality Monitor that analyzes oxygen and CO2 levels in classrooms via the ventilation system. Galbusera and Alnis both also received the SimpleLink Bluetooth Smart®/Multi-Standard SensorTag from element14.

Competitors were judged on their creativity, quality of documentation and the execution of their projects. To aid in their designs, participants received the TI Sitara™ AM335x-based BeagleBone Black from element14, power inductors from Wurth Elektronik, TI’s SimpleLink Wi-Fi® CC3200 LaunchPad and TI’s ultra-low-power MSP430FR5969  FRAM MCU LaunchPad.

To view content from all 15 In the Air challengers or to learn more about the award-winning, 300,000-member element14 Community of design engineers, visit www.element14.com/intheair.