[Noisebridge-discuss] Great Global Hackerspace Challenge - Who's on deck!?
Jake
jake at spaz.org
Sun Mar 20 22:53:14 UTC 2011
Noisebridge has been accepted into the hackerspace challenge! Our task is
to create a device usable for Education which contains a microcontroller
and a battery sourced from element14. We are already winners, if we
choose to accept this invitation and build a prototype device.
As you can read below, we have a $900 budget to build the prototype.
There are obligations such as blog posts of our progress, and our
participation at the Maker Faire. There are deadlines for progress.
I have an idea for our device but I can NOT do this by myself.
If we can form a non-hierarchal team of builders, bloggers, solderers and
code monkeys, we need to do that now and accept the invitation this week.
My idea (which was submitted as our entry to the challenge) is a device
which can display accoustic or electromagnetic signals on a screen (or the
screen of a computer perhaps?) including the accoustic audio spectrum, and
the electromagnetic spectrum in several interesting bands including
0-15KHz (electrical wires and such), AM radio band, FM radio band,
cellphone band (around 900MHz) and deep-infrared, near-infrared, visible,
and (hopefully) gamma radiation too.
If you can commit to being part of this team, after reading the schedule
and commitments below, please respond both to the list and to me Jake.
I am hoping that the winner of this challenge will create a useful device
for education of childrens around the world, and help kids understand
their world and the electromagnetic spectrum better.
-jake
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:20:21 -0700
From: Mitch Altman
To: Jake
Subject: Great Global Hackerspace Challenge
Hello Jake,
I received so many really great submissions for participation in the Great
Global Hackerspace Challenge!The response was wonderful.I received submissions
from South America, North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe. There are so
many incredible hackerspaces around the world.
Then I had a big problem: I didn't know how to choose which hackerspaces could
participate. I agonized over how to pick only 10 out of all the cool spaces who
emailed me. How to choose? I was only given enough resources to pick 10. I got
back to the folks at Element14, letting them know that it wouldn't be fair to
exclude all but 10 of the hackerspaces. After only a short while, we all
agreed, and the people at Element14 decided they would provide the resources
for all submitting hackerspaces to participate!
*So, congratulations, your hackerspace is part of the Great Global Hackerspace
Challenge!
*
/If you are still interested in participating, please email me as soon as you
can and confirm. You will not be considered to be part of the Challenge until I
receive your confirmation email.
/
_Here's a short summary of the Great Global Hackerspace Challenge_:
- Your hackerspace will create a project to help with education, using US$900
(or equivalent) provided by Element14. The project must use a microcontroller
and a portable power source.
- You have 6 weeks to complete your project, documenting your project as you
go. All spaces that complete their project will receive 10 soldering setups.
- Three hackerspaces' projects will be chosen as finalists to present at the
Grand Finale at the San Francisco Maker Faire. All three of these spaces will
receive some really nice electronic test equipment. One person from each space
will be flown out to present their project at the San Francisco Maker Faire
over the weekend of 21-May & 22-May.
- One project will be chosen at the Grand Finale at the San Francisco Maker
Faire to receive some extra goodies, including a very nice oscilloscope.
_In case you missed this in the above summary_:
The folks at Element14 also decided that it would be way cool to have a live
presentation for each of the three finalists' projects at the San Francisco
Maker Faire. So, they kicked in enough money to make that happen! Each of these
three people will also be put up in their own hotel room. Start planning your
trip to San Francisco now! :)
Below is a text-only version of the Participation Packet, which gives more
details. Please read it over, and see if you have any questions.
I will also email you separately with a PDF version of the Participation
Packet, which is 5.5MB. If you don't receive the PDF and would like it, please
email me and I'll get it to you another way.
Shortly after I receive an email from you confirming that you want to be part
of the Challenge, you will be contacted by Challenge organizers to schedule a
phone call with your team. They would like these calls to occur between
21-March and 24-March, depending on your availability.
Best of luck with your project!
Cheers,
Mitch.
*******************************
WELCOME
*******************************
Hello, and welcome to The Great Global Hackerspace Challenge, brought to you by
the very excited folks over at element14!
You are one of thirty hackerspaces from across the globe who have been chosen
to participate in this amazing event, which seeks to stretch your
hackerspace-minded ingenuity to its very limit to create an electronics build
that will make a real, and very positive difference in an educational
establishment. And for you to have a whole lot of fun along the way!
Exactly what that build is, and what solution it provides is entirely down to
you. The only stipulation is that your build must make use of a microcontroller
and a portable power source. We encourage you to reach out to an educational
institute in your area so that you can test your invention as it evolves, make
sure you are answering a genuine educational need, and hopefully establish a
home for your product once the challenge is over.
Within this pack, you'll find detailed information on the equipment element14
will provide you with to get your creative thoughts flowing, and your talented
hands building, as well as the low down on how to share your Hackerspace's
ongoing progress with the world.
We'd also ask you make sure to read our Great Global Hackerspace Challenge Pact
section, on which we are asking for a virtual handshake from you. It's our way
of establishing mutual ground rules and understanding before the storm of
genius activity begins.
We thank you once again for being a part of this incredible challenge, wish you
the very best of luck, and look forward with great anticipation to seeing your
work as it develops. This is a challenge in which brilliant minds collaborate
so that everybody wins. Onwards!
*******************************
CHALLENGE GUIDELINES
*******************************
Outlined below is a step-by-step guide with all the information you will need
to help make your hackerspace challenge as successful as possible. There's a
great deal to do in a very short space of time, and so we have created a
calendar of key delivery dates which you'll find at the end of this pack to
help you stay on track.
If you have any questions along the way that aren't answered here, please email
hackerspace at element14 dot com and we'll be sure to get back to you.
******************************
YOUR TOOL KIT
******************************
element14 is providing you with a budget of $900 US to complete your build. You
will be contacted directly to establish exactly how you would prefer to receive
this money. Your microcontroller and portable power source should be procured
using this money, and any additional electronic components you might need can
be purchased from the element14 store. Simply go to the element14 website
(www.element14.com), click on the 'store' tab and then select your items using
your $900 stipend. Your components will then be sent directly to you.
We ask that you try not add to this budget, as one of the judging criteria is
based on the total cost of the final build, but you are fully permitted to use
any components or items that you might already have at your hackerspace within
your build. We challenge you to be as creative as you like!
******************************
DOCUMENTING YOUR BUILD
******************************
Core to this challenge is to produce an electronics build that will ultimately
help education, but you can also start to help people learn about hackerspaces
and electronics building along the way by regularly sharing information on your
design. This is also how the judging panel will be able to track your progress
and pick the three semi-finalists, and a minimum of one weekly update is a
mandatory element of the challenge.
Please feel free to share all your exciting moments as they happen, but as a
guideline, content that would be useful for you to provide would be:
Week 1
- Introduce your team (video would be a great way to do this), explain your
hackerspace's philosophy, and provide a top level summary of your first week
Week 2
- Provide a basic outline of the materials you will be using in your build and
any key challenges you anticipate
Week 3
- Provide an update on the status of your build and quick summary of obstacles
encountered and how they are being addressed
Week 4
- Is everything going to plan? Perhaps provide footage of a visit to an
educational institution you're working with
Week 5
- In your penultimate week provide a review of the challenge to date. Is the
pressure on? What have you learned?
Week 6
- This is the time to really showcase your build, why it works and what
features make it stand out
*****************************
HOW TO SHARE
*****************************
You will be required to contribute to your profile page within the element14
community. This is where you can upload your videos and photos and keep
everyone informed via a written blog. You will be able to personalize the page
so that your hackerspace's own unique character shines through. To do this, go
to element14.com, click on ???Join Now??? if you are not already registered,
using your Hackerspace name, and we will create your page for you.
****************************
BUILD CRITERIA
****************************
Our esteemed panel of judges will include luminaries from the worlds of
technology and science, education and hackerspacing.
Following the completion of the build period, they will be judging each one on
the criteria below in order to select three semi-finalists to attend the
California Maker Faire for the grand finale on May 22.
Semi-finalists will be notified personally by Mitch on May 6.
Criteria:
- How reproducible is the final project
- How easily can the parts be sourced in locations around the world
- How low cost is the final output
- How well are the plans documented
- How relevant is the project to helping education today
- How inventive and creative is the design and build of the project
*****************************
THE MAKER FAIRE GRAND FINALE
*****************************
The Great Global Hackerspace Challenge will culminate in a live demonstration
of each of the three semi-finalists in front of the panel of judges at the San
Mateo Maker Faire. One team member from the final three hackerspaces will be
flown out to California to attend the Faire and present their build. Air fare,
hotel accommodation and daily food costs will all be covered by element14 -
we'll provide more detail on this if you are selected.
In the spirit of collaboration over competition, and to thank you for taking
part, element14 will be sending you a set of soldering equipment, including a
soldering station, for your hackerspace once you have completed the challenge.
Each of the semi-finalist hackerspaces will receive the following prizes:
- Fluke 233 DMM (worth US$300)
- Fluke 381 Clamp Meter (worth US$500)
- Tektronix PWS4205 Power Supply (worth US$865)
- Agilent HH DMM (specific model TBD)
Finally, the build chosen to have that extra sprinkling of hackerspace magic
will receive a suitably rocking prize: a Tektronix MSO2024 oscilloscope (worth
around US$5,600). Start clearing a space in the corner of your hackerspace now!
********************************************
THE GREAT GLOBAL HACKERSPACE CHALLENGE PACT
********************************************
You won't find any legal language here. We promise. The purpose of this section
is to let you know that if, for any reason you are unable to finish your
project you should let the organizers know as soon as possible. Particularly if
you encounter circumstances beyond your control. We need to be able to manage
expectations so we can accommodate the logistics of the event; judging, the
Maker Faire event and the management of the content on the community.
This isn't a contract. You won't be signing your life away. We trust you. We
simply want to have the best competition possible.
To quote the 1989 MGM classic 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' we want
everyone involved in this event to 'Be excellent to each other'. And that works
full circle. We are investing funds into your builds and you are investing your
valuable time and energy into our challenge. In the spirit of transparency and
collaboration we want everyone to succeed and get as much as they can from this
project however we reserve the right to withhold product and stipend if groups
do not deliver on the requirements of the challenge. We will be in close
communication throughout this project and, we can all work together to avoid
any adverse situations.
*****************************
CHALLENGE KEY DATES CALENDAR
*****************************
- Week of 3/21 : Official Challenge Briefing / Q+A
- 3/25: Deadline to create your profile and submit your first blog update
- 4/1: Deadline for Hackerspace Challenge Blog Post 2
- 4/15: Deadline for Hackerspace Challenge Blog Post 3
- 4/30: End of build time
- 05/01- 05/05: Judging period
- 05/06: 3 semi-finalists will be announced
- Week Of 5/16: One team member from each of the three semi-finalist
hackerspaces will travel to San Francisco Bay Area
- 5/21/22: Maker Faire
- 5/22: Maker Faire Great Global Hackerspace Challenge Grand Finale
- 5/23: Team members travel home
More information about the Noisebridge-discuss
mailing list