element14 launches new design challenge

element14 has launched the Smarter Life Challenge, a global design competition which will encourage participants to develop forward-thinking products.

The challenge will leverage the technology of single-chip systems, which have the potential to change and improve lives. The initiative, which will use the Cypress PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit, also aims to create renewed excitement and interest in futuristic appliances, automobiles and environments.

Examples of projects that could be explored include a smart oven which can detect when food is sufficiently cooked and send a text or tweet once the timer goes off. A smart coffee maker, as another example, might be able to respond to voice commands and provide text or tweet updates when finished brewing.

“Despite the prevalence of computers, most of our daily environments and the things within them fail to utilise computing power to intercept problems or improve performance,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14.

The majority of refrigerators, washing machines and thermostats, for example, still rely on manual operation. However, a recent report from Pike Research notes the annual value of the smart appliance market is expected to grow from $613 million in 2012 to $34.9 billion in 2020, demonstrating huge potential for innovation.

“We’re incredibly excited to kick off this challenge and see what the participants design, as we believe the builds could have real-world implications that make people’s lives easier,” Kibbey added.

“The Smarter Life Challenge gives engineers the opportunity to bring their vision for the future into reality with PSoC 4,” said John Weil, senior director of PSoC marketing and applications at Cypress. PSoC 4’s reprogrammable analog and digital fabric allows engineers to design and build things that were not previously possible with a single-chip ARM Cortex-M0 system, said Weil.

The challenge will begin with a three-week qualifying period in which potential participants will submit their design idea, why they came up with it and how they plan to use the PSoC 4.

On 2 October, at 9 am and 3 pm GMT, Cypress will provide a webinar on the topic of ‘the smarter life’ through the use of the PSoC4. Once the qualifying phase ends on 14 October, competitors will be selected and sent product. They’ll also be granted a budget of approximately $500 for accessories and other parts for the build.

Throughout the build phase, competitors will also develop blog posts addressing their ideas, what inspires them and what their key challenges might be. The competition will conclude on 17 January 2014.

The winner will be determined by a vote on the element14 Community, which offers design engineers a space to share project concepts with nearly 200,000 members. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the trade conference Embedded World, where they will showcase their designs at the Cypress and element14 booths. Embedded World will take place in Nuremberg, Germany from 25-27 February 2014. Other prizes include vouchers for up to $1500, redeemable at element14’s online retail sites.