Announcing the Winners of the Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge

We’re pleased to announce The Hackmobile (above) is the winner of the first-ever Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge. The makers Jon Atkinson, Becca Steffen, Riley Harrison, and Michael Freiert are all members of Twin Cities Maker at the Hack Factory in Minneapolis. Congratulations to them, and to all the makers who participated in this unique contest, who were each challenged with designing their Ultimate Maker Vehicle using an imaginary budget and blueprints for the 2014 Ford Transit Connect.

We’ve previously profiled the Transit Connect as a maker-friendly vehicle, from auto-conversion specialist Kevin Hornby to the Drone Dudes who fly multicopters right out of the back of their vehicle. We’ve seen the Transit Connect modified equally for short-term camper living as well as the delivery of local microgreens. And now the makers of The Hackmobile and indeed all the makers who competed in the Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge have exhibited what else is possible with the Transit Connect.

“The Fabber,” a “three-axis CNC base” is only one component of a much larger, complex design, as seen in the drawing above. The Fabber’s “tool heads include a 3D printer with a heated bed, a small router, a plasma torch for cutting metal, and a 10W laser diode for cutting and engraving.” In addition to fabrication abilities, the vehicle also contains tool storage, modular and even detachable work spaces, and an electronics suite for building Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects on the go. Persistence of vision LED displays are mounted on the wheels, oh and there’s even a LCD projector and collapsible theater screen for remote movie-watching!

Read more about The Hackmobile and the makers behind this winning vehicle over at their Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge entry.

Really wonderful camaraderie was expressed between all of the competing makers in this contest through comments and other forms of online support. So thanks again to all the contestants, and another round of applause is due for Twin Cities Makers who will receive a $10K prize for their outstanding entry. We’d also like to congratulate Runner-Up Jimmy DiResta for his ‘Hunter Gatherer’ entry, and an honorable mention is due to MakeIt Labs for their very competitive vehicle.

And who knows, maybe you’ll see The Hackmobile at a Maker Faire near you! *wink*