Save The Bees - Design Challenge

Using Arduino MKR1310 and Arduino Pro Nicla Vision Boards, challengers will combat the issues plaguing the global bee population.

Save the Bees Design Challenge

About this Challenge | Dates | The Judges | The Kit | The Prizes | Example Application | Terms & Conditions | The Challengers

The Challenge 

1 in 4 species of Bees are at risk of extinction, Engineers heed the call!

Did you know 1 in 3 bites of food are pollinated by bees? This shows the importance of maintaining the global bees population.

In this challenge you will use the Arduino MKR1310 & Pro Nicla Vision Boards to solve the bee crisis and for a chance to win some amazing prizes.

element14 Community exhibited at electronica 2022 on November 15 - 18th, Launching the Save the Bees Challenge with mayermakes 

MayerMakes demoed his project to combat Braulidae Bee Lice prototype project in bee hives, a video documenting the build and design process will launch on the 16th of December 2022 on @element14 presents 

For more information about our time at Electronica Fair go to: https://uk.farnell.com/electronica

Examples of qualifying projects can include and are not limited to:

•  Scan Incoming Bees for mites
•  Shake bees to remove mites
•  Test bees for Disease or Pollution 
•  Monitor Air Quality
• Track where bees are feeding
• Monitor Bee movements within the hive. 

Challenger Kit

We will be giving away 25 of each of the following items:

The Sponsored Kit	The Specs
Arduino MKR WAN 1310  Buy Now	Arduino MKR WAN 1310 board provides a practical and cost effective solution to add LoRa® connectivity to projects requiring low power. This open source board can be connected to: the Arduino IoT Cloud, your own LoRa® network using the Arduino LoRa® PRO Gateway, existing LoRaWAN infrastructure like The Things Network, or even other boards using the direct connectivity mode. SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU CMWX1ZZABZ radio module Improved battery power ATECC508 secure element
Arduino Pro Nicla Vision Board Buy Now	Tiny form factor of 22.86 x 22.86 mm Powerful processor to host intelligence on the edge Packed with a 2MP color camera that supports TinyML, smart 6-axis motion sensor, microphone and distance sensor Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® Low Energy connectivity Supports MicroPython Standalone when battery powered Expand existing project with sensing capabilities, make MV prototyping faster

The Prizes

Prize	Prize Category
Grand Prize Winner	Approximate Value $1,399 USD* VIVI Electric Bike for Adults 26" X 4.0 Fat Tire Electric Bike, 350W/500W Brushless Motor, Ebike with 36V/10.4AH 48V/12.5AH Removable Battery, Shimano 7 Speed Electric Bicycle, Up to 25MPH & 50 Miles $500 donated to a Bee Charity
Runner Up	Approximate Value $800 USD* Segway Ninebot ES1L Electric Kick Scooter 250W Motor, 12.4 Miles Range & 12.4 MPH, 8" Inner-Support Hollow Tires, Dual Brakes $500 to a Bee Charity
Finisher Prize** To be a finisher you must complete 5 blogs a	Approximate Value $25 USD* Bee Hotel Ideal for any garden—it is eco friendly and ready assembled. Great for pollinating insects.

*Or local equivalent

**Grand Prize and Runner Up winners also earn the finisher prize.

The Judges

element14 Community Judges element14 Community Team
Technical Judges nearBees https://www.nearbees.de/

The Dates

The Terms

There are two phases to every Design Challenge.

First, members apply to receive the "Kit" (listed above).  Applications must be received by the Application Deadline.  Judges review these and select winners who receive the Kit.  Those members become our sponsored Challengers – but anyone is welcome to participate in the next phase with the only stipulation being their projects must include the Arduino MKR 1310 and adhere to all terms and conditions of the challenge.  Sponsored and non-sponsored Challengers are eligible to receive prizes.

The second phase is the Build Phase.  All Challengers are encouraged to post about their project progress in the Design Challenge area.  The minimum requirement for the Build Phase is that Challengers post at least 5 blog posts before the Projects Due Date (see above) and that their project demonstrates a way of helping Bee populations using the Arduino MKR 1310.  Judges will more favorably consider Challengers’ work if it contains regular progress updates, photos, videos and code samples or other rich media.

Please read the full terms and conditions of the challenge, attached below.

Ready to join the challenge? Then apply here!