This came together fairly quickly and I didn't anticipate this happening until the idea of moving the next competition over to accommodate a special event was pitched to me.
For it to happen at all, had to decide on a theme fairly quickly.
With people being in and out for the holidays (next week is Thanksgiving in the States) and then there is Christmas break if we were going to try something different to see what happens then this would be a good time to see if our members got into it.
If we were to do it the normal way the Special Event themes would have to be done in October so that November would give us enough time to prepare for December launch.
You could try to cram it in but that would be pushing it.
(Plus I could use a little time to recharge my circuits as I myself will be taking a little time off in the coming months...)
I think if this works out then I think your idea could be something we potentially incorporate the next go around if given another opportunity to do something like this again.
Perhaps it is already up on the list of comments in some form, but I'd like to see a 'Two Heads Are Greater Than One' challenge.
The point would be to make two or more identical electronic modules (any source code is also identical apart from perhaps an Serial_ID or MAC address) and make them behave in an interesting way. The modules could take the form of a wheeled robot (expensive when en-mass) down to some simple static PCBs that communicate with those around them to flash lights (much cheaper). Schools and STEM ambassadors could utilise several BBC:Microbits for example. The aim would be to see the modules do something interesting (doesn't have to be useful) e.g. they all migrate to a certain position, they ripple information across them, they 'help' the slowest module....
however it sounds like it could have some potential for the basis of a Project14 competition.
Basically it is a list of eight real-world challenges facing those caught up recently in hurricane-struck areas. The challenges require to be able to be replicated using 'maker' type facilities.
However a Project 14 theme could be more general to cater for other disaster type situations such as flood or fire.
mcb1 That's exactly one train of thought on the 'Internet of Everything' front. The concept that by using 'big data' that your smart device will tell you information before you even need to ask for it.
I attended a presentation not so long ago by James Whittaker about this which was quite informative/entertaining. You can watch a recording of a very similar presentation here.
(Skip forward into the video and the presentation is in English)
Some people will find it totally absurd having your smart device telling you that you need to go take a pee now and the nearest vacant WC/toilet/restroom is 10m away to the right, however for some people it could provide a better quality of life. The basics behind it are that
big data knows where the facilities are located geographically
your smart device knows where you are located now
about an hour ago you just paid for a large coffee in a café
historically your bodily functions reveal that it takes about an hour to go through your system
your calendar schedule reveals that you are about to make a journey to a meeting
etc...
I believe that the IoT fridge is making progress in the medical industry where it is being used to track very expensive pharmaceuticals where the cost of RFID tagging items is minimal compared to the cost of the items or the cost of an accident involving the use of the products.
Perhaps however the IoT fridge is just one step on from the connected vending machines, which people now take for granted.
Many people already use the front of the fridge as a magnetic noticeboard, so perhaps already a suitable choice for a 'digital mirror' type location. Internet deliveries of groceries are already on the increase. Join the dots and you have a fridge which can place and schedule the delivery of groceries without any intervention...
At the other end, supermarkets can be replaced by robotic warehouses, have better stock control, security, etc. ...
Didn't someone want to do the fridge thing in UpcycleIt ?
I'm still struggling why everyone is so keen on linking their appliances to some form of shopping list, or meal suggestions.
Surely when you want to prepare a meal you already have an idea of what you trying to produce before you open the fridge.?
It seems we are trending towards a society that relies on answers from the internet in order to perform what used to be learned tasks.
I've found that if you learn a task, you retain the knowledge, whereas asking someone else for the answer gets you the answer, and next time you need to repeat it.
We seem to be relying more and more on our smartphones to remind us of this, feeding us live updates about things we probably don't care about, or are unlikely to use, and generally seperating us from the real world.
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