Your Sensor Ideas Can Save the World — and Win You Gear

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Your Sensor Ideas Can Save the World — and Win You Gear

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Connectivity is one of the key elements of the Internet of Things. The other is sensors, a must for almost any type of IoT scenario.

Cypress Semiconductor is working to let people quickly access the necessary technologies to build the projects they want and help quickly advance the IoT field. And to help get us there, they are sponsoring a new challenge to help people turn their ideas into realities.

The challenge, co-presented by Mouser and hosted on Hackster.io, asks people to submit their sensor-based IoT project ideas that can be made with their PSoC Analog Coprocessor; Cypress and Hackster will select their favorite 100 ideas and send their inventors a powerful new PSoC Pioneer Kit, a flexible prototyping board with five built-in sensors (motion, light, temperature, proximity, and humidity) coupled to an ARM Cortex-M0+ chip for fast-yet-efficient processing, all in an Arduino Uno-shield-compatible form factor.

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The Pioneer Kits aren’t the ultimate goal, however — from there, these 100 semi-finalists will be tasked with building their project, then Cypress and Hackster will select the three best and award each with an Oculus Rift headset.

It’s not hard to get involved; all you need is to submit an idea by October 30th. But to stand out, quality and uniqueness are good aspects to keep in mind. There are plenty of smart home ideas out there already, so be sure to get really creative if that’s the avenue you want to go down.

A few entries that stand out to us so far:
Assistive devices for the visually impaired
Air quality bike route optimizer
Newborn wellness and safety monitor

There’s a huge variety of options here — get inspired, get your idea drawn up, and go for the glory.

Details from the contest page:

Here are some useful links to get you started:

Show us what you’ve got. We have some amazing prizes for you!

Step 1: Register for the contest

  • Start by creating a free account on Hackster.io (or sign-in)
  • Register for the contest by clicking “Register as a participant”
  • Register for the webinars

Step 2: Apply to win one of 100 Cypress CY8CKIT-048 PSoC® Analog Coprocessor Pioneer Kits by pitching an idea

  • Submit your project idea by Oct 30, 2016
  • Click “Apply to receive Cypress CY8CKIT-048 PSoC® Analog Coprocessor Pioneer Kit” and fill in the template. Tell us what you want to create. Make sure to incorporate one of the sensors sold by Mouser for your best chance to win.
  • We will select the top 100 winners based the originality, quality, and creativity of your idea

Step 3: Enter to win the grand prizes by building and submitting your project

  • You can still participate even if you didn’t win a free kit!
  • Build your project using the Cypress CY8CKIT-048 PSoC® Analog Coprocessor Pioneer Kit
  • Submit your project by clicking on “Add my project”
  • Describe your project. Include plenty of details: what are you creating? What does it do? Why does it matter?
  • Submit your project in one of the relevant categories (smart home, environment, healthcare)
  • Submit your project by Jan 8, 2017

Your posted project should include:

  • Story and quality images;
  • Clear instructions;
  • BOM and schematics;
  • Source code;
  • CAD files if relevant
Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
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Mike Senese

Mike Senese is a content producer with a focus on technology, science, and engineering. He served as Executive Editor of Make: magazine for nearly a decade, and previously was a senior editor at Wired. Mike has also starred in engineering and science shows for Discovery Channel, including Punkin Chunkin, How Stuff Works, and Catch It Keep It.

An avid maker, Mike spends his spare time tinkering with electronics, fixing cars, and attempting to cook the perfect pizza. You might spot him at his local skatepark in the SF Bay Area.

View more articles by Mike Senese

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