LEGO MINDSTORMS Voice Challenge

If you are a winner, we will contact you directly via email to arrange the shipment of your prize.

Important Dates

Final Project Submissions Deadline: Dec 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM PT

Contest winners will be announced on: Jan 17, 2020 at 11:59 PM PT

For your submission to be eligible, you must meet ALL of the following requirements unless otherwise stated.

General Requirements

• You must be registered as a participant for this contest.**
• Your entry must be your own original work.
• Your entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other Hackster contest.
• Your entry should be provided in English.
• Your team is no more than 4 members per entry.***

**As a participant of the contest you may choose whether to submit one or more entries either as an individual or as a member of a single team.

***By entering a submission to this contest on behalf of a team, you acknowledge that you are the designated representative authorized to act on behalf of your team. (See Official Rules for details.)

Hardware/Software Build Requirements

• The creation must use LEGO Mindstorms EV3. Participants can additionally use more than one Mindstorms EV3 Brick and can combine with elements from other LEGO sets (for example, LEGO Technic) or other non-LEGO hardware per the terms of use that accompany any components you use.
• The creation must use Alexa Gadgets Toolkit’s Gadget Interfaces (Predefined and/or Custom) to interact with Alexa and voice. Participants can additionally use other software, services, and APIs per the terms of use that accompany them.
• Required hardware: LEGO Mindstorms Kit and your choice of connection to any the following Echo devices: Echo, Echo Show, Echo Spot, or Echo Dot.

Project Documentation Requirements

• Your project must include your project name, introduction, and description of your creation.
• Your project must include a video demo of your working creation.
• Your project must include a walkthrough showing how you created you project, key code snippets, images, screenshots, etc.
• Your project must include your working gadget source code (1+ Python files).
• Your project must include working skill source code. Ideally a single Node JS Lambda file if you choose the Alexa-hosted route. Otherwise, it can be written in a language of choice supported by Lambda, e.g. Node JS, Python, etc.
• Your project must be documented in English.
• Your project must be submitted by Dec 31, 2019.

Optional (but encouraged): Consider including assets and instructions enabling others to build your project. This includes LEGO build instructions, coding instructions, and LEGO hardware components list. See Judging Criteria to see how this will be factored into the judging.

Your project will be judged according to the rubric below.

• Use of Voice Interaction with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 (40 points)
  We are looking for creative and engaging experiences that showcase use of voice interaction. Including a clear explanation and demonstration of how voice is used with your Mindstorms EV3 creation. What is the goal of your build and how does voice make the experience better or more fun? Is it intuitive to use voice and Alexa to interact with your Mindstorms EV3 creation and its environment?
• Innovative Design and Solution (40 points)
  Usage of Alexa Gadgets Toolkit (use of Pre-Defined and Custom Interfaces) should be thoughtful in your design and implementation. We will also be looking at how your voice design incorporates intuitive conversation and dynamic input based on the user, Mindstorms EV3 activity, and environment. Your LEGO build should have interesting and innovative elements in its form factor designed to interact with the end user that supports the goals of your creation.
• Enabling Others to Build (20 points)
  Helping and inspiring others to build what you built will win you more points! Show how you created your project, including source code, your design/building process, and model instructions. Ask yourself: “If I were a beginner reading this project, would I understand how to recreate it?” We will look at whether build instructions, source code, and how to get it working are included with submission.

• Best Creation Overall

• Top Creations (5 are available)

• Top Creation

• First 100 Submissions (100 are available)

Step 1: Register for the Contest

• Start by creating a free account on Hackster.io (or sign-in if already a member).
• Register for the contest by clicking “Register as a participant” and opt-in to receive contest updates.

Step 2: Build and Document Your Project

• Build your project according to the submission requirements.
• Document your project build using Hackster’s project template. To create a new project, click “create new project” on the contest page or the “+” symbol in the top right corner of your Hackster page.
• 13-17 Year Olds Can Participate! Every submission by an individual or team of developers with participants aged 13-17 or minors in their territory must have a parent or legal guardian of each minor participant complete this consent form and upload as a part of your submission. For questions, email contests@hackster.io. See Official Rules for how to enter as a minor.

Step 3: Review and submit your project

• Review your project and make sure it meets all the submission requirements.
• Submit your project by December 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM PT by clicking “review and submit project” on the contest page.

Contest winners will be announced on January 17, 2020. The list of winners will be visible on the main page (Contest brief).

To be eligible for the contest, you must meet the following requirements at time of submission:

• You are at least 13 years of age. If you are 13-17 years of age or a minor in your territory, then you must receive your parent’s or legal guardian's permission prior to submitting an entry into this challenge. Ask your parent or guardian to 1) complete this consent form and send to contests@hackster.io, 2) sign up for an Amazon Developer Account on your behalf, and 3) help submit your entry. If you are participating as a team, you must submit a completed consent form for each member of your team that is a minor in your territory.
• You are not a resident of Brazil, the Province of Quebec, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, the region of Crimea, or any country, state, or province or territory where the laws of the United States or local law prohibits participating or receiving a price in this challenge.
• You are not involved in the execution or administration of this challenge.
• You are not a member of any guild, union or other organization that may prohibit you from participating in this challenge and that would restrict, require due payment or otherwise have the right to oppose your participation in this challenge.
• You are not employed by or an immediate family member or household member of an employee or employees of Amazon, the LEGO Group, or Hackster Inc., or their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising, promotion and public relations agencies, representatives, and agents.

Please use the following link and instructions.