element14 community launches the ‘Sixth Sense’ Design Challenge

As an added twist, the project should showcase a “sixth sense” by displaying the capabilities of STMicroelectronics and TE Connectivity products to improve remote vehicle sensing and data collection. Ideas of potential applications for the challenge could be as broad as a forest fire sensing drone, to a self-guiding drain snake or underwater pipeline monitor, element14 suggests.

“As the Development Distributor, we encourage our half-a-million community members to create projects that are fun, inventive and beneficial to society,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for Premier Farnell.“Together with our partners ST Microelectronics and TE Connectivity, we’re providing kits to 20 participants to help them create innovative designs that take their projects to another level. With sensing at the core of the IoT, this design challenge gives our challengers the opportunity to create something that can really test the capabilities of these devices.”

Makers and engineers can apply to participate in the Sixth Sense Design Challenge from now through till October 15. Twenty challengers will be announced on October 20 and will have 11 weeks to build their projects, producing at least 10 blog posts about the process to share their development with the element14 community along the way.

Entries will be judged by a range of technical judges from TE Connectivity and ST Microelectronics on originality, innovation and technical merit.

The 20 element14 community members selected to compete in this design challenge will receive a free challenger kit from STMicroelectronics and TE Connectivity, including all of the kit development boards and kit components needed to create their designs.

element14 has announced that the first place winner in the Sixth Sense Design Challenge will receive a Lulzbot Taz 6 3D Printer valued at more than $2,500. The runner up will receive the Lulzbot Mini 2 3D Printer worth more than $1,500, while each participant who completes the design challenge will receive a mystery prize.