The 2017 Hackaday Prize

• The 2017 Hackaday Prize
  Posted by FrankBuss on 21 Mar, 2017 00:44
• Hackaday started their annual big contest for 2017:
  
  https://hackaday.io/contest/20354-the-2017-hackaday-prize
  
  The blog posting has some additional information:
  
  http://hackaday.com/2017/03/20/2017-hackaday-prize-begins-right-now/
  
  I like the get-a-dollar-for-a-like idea. BTW, this is my entry (IuT = Internet of Useful Things), just in case someone likes it
  
  https://hackaday.io/project/20466-iut-fridge-e-paper
  
• #1 Reply
  Posted by FrankBuss on 09 May, 2017 23:40
• First round is over, 20 projects won $1000:
  
  http://hackaday.com/2017/05/08/these-twenty-designs-just-won-1000-in-the-hackaday-prize/
  
  Interesting ideas, but what do you think about this project, which won, too?
  
  https://hackaday.io/project/20737-breathedot-a-portable-meditation-aid
  
  A blinking LED. Right, a world changing, novel idea.
• #2 Reply
  Posted by Mechatrommer on 10 May, 2017 01:03
• Quote from: FrankBuss on 21 Mar, 2017 00:44

  (IuT = Internet of Useful Things)
  

  now they got the terminology right... btw i like the 28 miles radio module... for my hobby purpose. but for practical purpose.. maybe the early heart failure detection and automatic water level flood detection is more "usefull". navy seal wont need a timer gizmo just for relaxation, anybody can estimate how long a 4 seconds in brain.
  
• #3 Reply
  Posted by bktemp on 10 May, 2017 06:08
• I don't like such contests, because of such silly devices winning prizes.
  The 28 miles radio device looks nice, but the hardware seems to be an exact copy of the AD reference design (only a different microcontroller):
  http://www.analog.com/en/products/rf-microwave/integrated-transceivers-transmitters-receivers/low-power-rf-transceivers/adf7023.html#product-overview
  Looking at the software, all I can see is STM32 HAL code and  the ADF702x driver supplied by AD. There is nothing else in main.c connecting all the modules together. Many other files are empty, so this device doesn't even work! Or did I miss something?
  So, copying a reference design and generating some HAL drivers by using some tools provided by ST is enough to win $1000? Really?   
• #4 Reply
  Posted by FrankBuss on 10 May, 2017 06:41
• For the first round no hardware was required, just a nice image and a concept description. At least that's what the contest rules said, but looks like most winners have some kind of prototype. But right, not the 28 miles radio device you mentioned ( https://hackaday.io/project/17997-s1g-rf-sub-1ghz-radio-modules-915mhz-and-433mhz ).
• #5 Reply
  Posted by Mechatrommer on 10 May, 2017 07:31
• Quote from: bktemp on 10 May, 2017 06:08

  So, copying a reference design and generating some HAL drivers by using some tools provided by ST is enough to win $1000? Really?   
  

  i dont see a recommended pcb design for the transceiver. designing and verifying those will need some heavy pocket equipments. with that we can hope a verified gerber pcb that we can directly copy and etch at home. copy the template C/C++ file ready to code our intended purpose without needing to setup everything from the beginning. or hope for some china to copycat it and sell in ebay for cheap. currently available transceiver module (for hobby airflight stuffs) in ebay that is considered high end only for few km away and price starting $100-500 and up, coupled with sub $1K remote control. the el cheapo flysky receiver that i have is $10-20 price ($50-100 if 2 way tranceiver module is required) + $100++ rc control is claimed to only 2km, but i guess thats too optimistic i'm guessing only 500km tops for reliable transmission. what you missed is the led blinker every 4 seconds with attiny85 chip so you can follow your breath on meditation gaya https://hackaday.io/project/20737-breathedot-a-portable-meditation-aid. if that is the nominated winner i will for not entering the contest and prove it can be done much more eco friendly with attiny10 chip.
  
  edit: well it did receive the $1000 isnt it? well.... 
• #6 Reply
  Posted by bktemp on 10 May, 2017 08:09
• It looks like there are gerber files in the AD reference design / EVAL board.
  
  When looking at the entries, this one looked interesting, because 28 miles (~45km) is a huge distance for a wireless transmitter operating in the 433/868/915MHz bands with all the restrictions. Other ADF720x based modules seem to be more like in the <10miles (<15km) range even when using an additional PA/LNA frontend. This alone made the project look suspicious to me. Seeing no actual code or hardware, puts it in the same "just a design idea but no actual experience" category as many Kickstarter/Indiegogo projects with their exaggerated claims that fail after a couple of years and many thousands or millions of dollars spend. Also seeing the github repository being unchanged for 6 month doesn't make it look any better. And showing how to install a toolchain is not exactly what I excpect from such a project.
  The pcb looks nice, but that does not mean it also works. Maybe I am completely wrong, but I doubt this project will end in a success.
• #7 Reply
  Posted by FrankBuss on 10 May, 2017 09:50
• Quote from: bktemp on 10 May, 2017 08:09

  When looking at the entries, this one looked interesting, because 28 miles (~45km) is a huge distance for a wireless transmitter operating in the 433/868/915MHz bands with all the restrictions. Other ADF720x based modules seem to be more like in the <10miles (<15km) range even when using an additional PA/LNA frontend. This alone made the project look suspicious to me.
  

  
  Right, without hardware you can claim anything you want.
  
  

  Quote from: Mechatrommer on 10 May, 2017 07:31

  what you missed is the led blinker every 4 seconds with attiny85 chip so you can follow your breath on meditation gaya https://hackaday.io/project/20737-breathedot-a-portable-meditation-aid. if that is the nominated winner i will for not entering the contest and prove it can be done much more eco friendly with attiny10 chip.
  
  edit: well it did receive the $1000 isnt it? well.... 
  

  
  Yes, this project won $1000., too. Well, the next round is the internet of useful things, maybe I should submit an ESP8266 connected blinking LED. I could make it read some online sources for solar activity and adjusting the LED brightness accordingly. Then I would have a meditation device which is in harmony with the universe
• #8 Reply
  Posted by thm_w on 10 May, 2017 19:01
• If a CR2032, attiny and red LED can win then I'm for sure submitting my school project now (has custom working hardware).
  Although as it stands I would only really qualify for the "anything goes" section which isn't until September.
  
  A month to get my device internet connected might not be enough.
• #9 Reply
  Posted by mc172 on 10 May, 2017 19:12
• The variable rotor... All of the centrifugal load is taken by a <1 mm thick circlip. Dodgy.
  
  What about when one servo fails, you are fooked.
• #10 Reply
  Posted by FrankBuss on 10 May, 2017 19:29
• Quote from: thm_w on 10 May, 2017 19:01

  A month to get my device internet connected might not be enough.
  

  
  This is really easy these days, a weekend project, see e.g. my experiments with an esp8266, which you can get for a few bucks from eBay:
  
  https://hackaday.io/project/20466/instructions