Freescale announces design contest, challenges engineers to ‘make it’ creative

To coincide with the contest, Freescale has introduced a sensor development kit and new Tower Mechatronics Board that contestants will use for their designs. The Tower Mechatronics Board enables designers to write software for a variety of sensor applications. When used in the Freescale sensor robot, the Tower board is capable of making the robot walk and respond to touch, motion, vibration and other external stimuli. The Freescale robot is a nine-inch tall, four degrees of freedom bipedal walking robot, with a 32-bit ‘brain’ and a three-axis accelerometer for balance.

About the Make It Challenge
To be eligible to participate in the Freescale Make It Challenge, contestants must attend FTF and complete an online course and quiz or one of two training courses offered at the forum.

The Make It Challenge will have two tracks:
1. Mechatronics Robot Track
2. Tower System Track

The challenge is limited to the first 200 registrants (100 per track), and participants can choose to enter one or both tracks. Each contestant in the Mechatronics Robot Track will receive the Freescale robot (FSLBOT) that contains the Tower Mechatronics board (TWR-MECH), as well as FSLBOT code. Participants in the Tower System Track will receive a Tower System kit containing one controller module selected by the participant. Contestants in both tracks will have access to the on-site FTF Make It Lab, where they can work on their designs and interact with Freescale technology experts.

Contestants must enter their designs on June 22, 2011 at 4 p.m. CDT and are limited to one submission per track. Entries will be judged on application innovation and creativity, as well as integration of different elements of the tool kit provided.

Joe Grand, electrical engineer, former host of Discovery Channel's Prototype This! andpresident of Grand Idea Studio, Inc.,will be at FTF to help judge the participants’ designs.

Design challenges allow engineers to learn about new technologies and think of clever and unique ways to implement them into future designs, said Joe Grand, a long-time Freescale customer. As one of the judges for Freescale's Make It Challenge, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the FTF attendees can come up with using the Tower System.

Anton Olsen, self described “Master Geek” and GeekDad from Innovation First, Inc. (VEX Robotics) will be on the panel of judges. As part of the Mechatronic Robot Track, participants will have access to various products from VEX Robotics. VEX 3-wire motors and servos can be controlled by the TWR-MECH board, making the Mechatronic Design Challenge even more exciting.

First place winners of each track will receive $3,000 USD, second place $2,000 USD and third place $1,000 USD. The grand prize winner, selected from the first place track winners, will receive a Freescale Motorsports VIP weekend package for two, which includes travel and lodging for an upcoming motorsport event. For official rules; visit www.freescale.com/MakeItChallenge.