Freescale Semiconductor has announced the top ten finalists in the company’s Black Widow $10,000 Design Challenge. By competing in the Black Widow challenge, embedded developers and engineering students in the United States, Canada and Mexico discovered how easy it is to design embedded applications based on Freescale’s highly integrated 8-bit S08 microcontrollers (MCUs) and backed by the company’s extensive ecosystem of development tools, including the recently available USBSPYDER08 Discovery Kit.
Freescale selected the ten finalists from a field of more than 775 participants. Each submission was judged on creativity, design efficiency, technical complexity, number of Freescale devices used, and overall application innovation and usefulness.
Each of the ten finalists will receive a $1,000 (USD) award. In addition, Freescale will invite the finalists to build prototypes of their designs to submit for final judging. Finalists will compete for a $10,000 grand prize and recognition as the most “killer application.”
Who:
Top Ten Finalists (in no particular order):
DEFCON 15 Badge
Grand Idea Studio, Inc.
Gabriel Herrera, Alan Led Collins, Serio Santana, Missael Maciel, Andres Alvarez, Carlos Soto, Ramon Guillen
Iteso
Ultrasonic mouse & triangulation modules for the Beer Launching Fridge
ConFocus
Electronic Etch-a-Sketch
Rakesh Reddy
Smart Peltier Ale Thermal Zone Controllers (SPATZ)
Cray, Inc
Electronic Devices in Restricted Areas
University of Texas at Austin
“SprinklerLink” for networked Control of Irrigation Valve Solenoids
Bryan Zublin
Therapeutic massager
Feisal Hurzook, Andrew Webster, Antonio Nucaro
Archronix Corporation
Intelligent Sensor and Servo Actuator System (ISSAS)
Justin Nelson
S-tec
D-AbleScope
Alejandra Jaimes, Lizette Godinez, Erick Arciga, Antonio Martinez, Francisco Heredia, Sergio Carbaj
Itesm Cem
When:
The finalists will submit their completed prototypes by the May 25, 2007 deadline. Freescale plans to announce the top three winners on June 4, 2007. The grand prize winner will receive complimentary travel and accommodations in addition to free admission to the Freescale Technology Forum where the winning prototype will be showcased.
Where:
Freescale Technology Forum
June 25-28, 2007
Orlando, Florida at JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Conference Centers
Background:
Announced in January 2007, the Black Widow $10,000 Design Challenge rewards the most inventive embedded designs with cash prizes and high-profile recognition. The challenge includes free technical training and a discounted price for the USBSPYDER08 development tool supporting Freescale’s MC9S08QG, MC9S08QD and MC9RS08KA families of 8-bit MCUs. Registration closed April 6, 2007. For more information, visit www.freescale.com/blackwidow.
