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Design for a Cause Challenge: About this Challenge

 

Assistive Technology with the Arduino MKR1000 Dev Board

 

Integrate the low-cost Arduino MKR1000 IoT Dev BoardMKR1000 IoT Dev Board into your project for the chance to win a prize package worth up to $2430 USD.

 

The Design for a Cause Challenge will choose 16 sponsored Challengers to receive a Challenger Kit for FREE.

 

Arduino, in collaboration with element14, would like to introduce the Design for a Cause Challenge

The 16 sponsored challengers will use the Arduino MKR1000 Dev Board to create a piece of assistive technology for individuals living with physical or mental impairments.  These projects should show how the Arduino MKR1000 Dev Board can be used to help improve the lives of people living with limitations.  Challengers are invited to make their code and methods Open Source so others around them can help people in their own lives.

 

Example applications could include:

 

  • OpenSource electric wheelchair conversion kit
  • Smart prosthetics
  • Sense replacement system
  • Safer cooking options for people with sight impairments
  • Mobility & dexterity aids
  • Help with household appliances
  • Proximity detecting canes
  • Communication devices

 

The Design for a Cause Challenge will have 16 sponsored Challengers who will each receive the Kit for free.

 

But anyone can join the Challenge as a non-sponsored Challenger!

 

Here's how: Use the Arduino MKR1000 Dev BoardMKR1000 Dev Board integrate it into your project.  Then post 10 blogs about your design journey in the Design for a Cause space, tagging your blogs 'Design for a Cause'.

 

What are Design Challenges?

Design Challenges are 11-week-long build challenges where applicants submit a project idea to a panel of judges. The best 16 are sent the official challengers build kit and spend the next 11 weeks building and blogging about it on the element14 community. After the 11 weeks are over, the judges choose which projects and blogs deserve the prizes and glory that come with being a Design Challenge winner. Every challenge has a theme and a kit partner.

 

The deadline for project application submissions is 20th June 2018.

 

All projects must include the Arduino MKR1000 Dev Board.

  • When are the challengers going to be declared? The date was given as 22nd June

  • in reply to jkutzsch

    Hi John! So are you looking to get rid of the draft and start a new app, or do you want to preserve what you have in the draft but finish it? Maybe I can help, I could send you all the content in the app, we could then delete it and copy paste?

  • The deadline for project application submissions is 20th June 2018.

     

    I have a draft entry sitting out there that I can't submit or start a new one.  Was it the end of the day on the 20th or the beginning of the day when the deadline was?

  • in reply to dougw

    From my own point of view, detecting wobbles, leans, etc whilst walking would be helpful (perhaps some form of vibratory or sound feedback to indicate which side). This might make it easier to do things like walk along narrow paths (especially when these are alongside roads). This can be a particular challenge at night (as eyesight is typically used to compensate for lack of vestibular function).

     

    Another feature that would be very helpful to many would be to detect the start of a fall, and to warn the user *before* they hit the ground image I find that I can momentarily lose consciousness during these fall, but sometimes wake up in time either to stop falling, or at least minimise the impact by use of arms/hands etc. If you really wanted to to be fancy, the fall detection could  be set to send an alert (SMS, bluetooth to a phone etc) if the user remains immobile after the fall for a specified period (e.g. a minute or two). This might help an elderly person get help earlier, for example by summoning emergency help or a carer.

     

     

    Thanks for the comment on the name - the first microprocessor I ever programmed. I suspect if Motorola had given it a simpler clock input it might have been just as popular as the Z80 or 6502. Instead it needed a two-phase rail-to-rail non-overlapping clock!

  • in reply to mc6800

    Interesting topic which is becoming more of an issue with the aging population. What type of feedback do you think would be useful?

    Cool name by the way..

  • From a personal interest, a wearable device that offers feedback on posture and orientation to those with vestibular (balance) issues would be an interesting challenge. This is likely to require gyros, accelerometers etc to replicate the natural sensors in the inner ear. There is some academic literature on the subject, but often with older and bulkier technology. A fully wearable device with good battery life would be of great help to many, I suspect.

     

    Unfortunately I'm not in a position to pursue this myself image but would be fascinated to see what someone else could deliver.