Make it Matter!

The challenge

We call upon the Hackster community to create an innovative, human-centered, Matter-ready smart home application utilizing the nRF7002 Development Kit or an nRF5340-based development kit from Nordic Semiconductor.

In this contest, we are featuring the newly released nRF7002 DK, which combines Nordic’s ultra-low power technologies with Wi-Fi 6 capability, supporting all wireless protocols used in Matter: Bluetooth LE for commissioning, Thread for low-power mesh, and Wi-Fi for high-throughput.

If you choose to develop with Matter over Thread, you may build your project on the nRF5340 Development Kit or the Nordic Thingy:53. You might already have one of these kits at home and can get a head start.

Matter is an open standard protocol championed by Apple, Amazon, Google, Nordic Semiconductor, Samsung, and hundreds of other companies in consumer IoT. This unified initiative aims to create an interoperable ecosystem among different manufacturers and brands by streamlining the intricate development process of building and integrating smart home devices, thus empowering developers to concentrate on the applications and experiences.

Explore opportunities where navigation, mobility, and communication can be made more efficient or provide assistance to the elderly, disabled, or children. By leveraging your skills and expertise in engineering, we can collectively innovate solutions that increase quality of life in our homes and enhance overall well-being.

For example, the smart home system application can address any of these scenarios:

• Calmer environment and interfaces to improve residents’ mental wellness and reduce sensory overload
• People with mobility limitations and cognitive declination
• Access to healthcare/resources when living in remote areas and communities
• Large family/multi-generation households with digital sophistication divide
• People living alone
• Living with a caregiver and/or external domestic support personnel

Meet the Featured Hardware - nRF7002 DK

The contest is giving out (100) nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 Development Kits along with an nRF52840 Dongle. When registration opens, you can submit your content entry idea to the contest page for a chance to win the hardware and build your submission.

Want to get started early? The nRF7002 kit is currently available from many distributors around the globe. Buy now.

Key features:

• Supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread and Zigbee
• One of the very few certified embedded reference designs in the market, supporting dual-band and Target Wake Time.
• 2.4 GHz, 2.4/5 GHz, and NFC antennas
• User-programmable LEDs(2) and buttons(2)
• SWF RF connector for direct RF measurements
• On-board SEGGER J-Link debugger/programmer
• Arduino Uno Rev3 form factor
• Pins for measuring power consumption

Learn more about the hardware here.

Your Project - Create A Matter Solution

Matter makes it easy for developers to create a secure and reliable solution that is interoperable with the major smart home ecosystems. With Matter, you can control your smart lighting, smart locks, etc. simultaneously with any Matter-compatible platform using iOS or Android devices or your voice assistant of choice. So, if you have an iPhone and your roommate has a Google Pixel, you can both control all your smart home devices.

In this contest, you can create your prototype from scratch or start your project using any of the devices below to build an application with the Matter protocol.

• Speakers: Use devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Nest speakers, or Apple HomePod, which incorporate voice assistants to control other smart devices. You can build your own matter-enabled speaker, but when it comes to voice assistants, we recommend using one of the existing ones to control your device.
• Thermostats: Use devices such as Google Nest Thermostat or Ecobee SmartThermostat to enable temperature control and energy management in homes. Or build your own sensor by adding it to the nRF7002 DK.
• Lights: Use lighting systems from manufacturers like Philips Hue or LIFX that offer color-changing, dimming, and automation features. Or build your own lights and make them smart (and matter-capable) with the nRF7002 DK.
• Access control and locks: Make door locks that can be remotely controlled and monitored, such as August Smart Lock or Yale Assure Lock. Or make your own smart lock with a DK and a servo motor.
• Outlets and plugs: Devices like Eve Energy or the Amazon Smart Plug can turn regular appliances into smart devices by adding remote control and scheduling features. Here, you can also build your own version. Just remember to stay safe. Especially when working with mains power!

As you see, many devices can be combined with your own DIY device. You also aren't constrained to the types we mention here.

Getting Started

To develop your Matter project, you can go down the two paths described below.

Path 1: Use an off-the-shelf smart hub
The easiest solution is to use a store-bought smart hub that you might already have at home:

• Matter over Thread compatible smart hubs:
  HomePod Mini, Apple TV 4k, or Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen
• Matter over Wi-Fi compatible smart hubs:
  Google Nest Mini or any Matter-enabled Amazon Alexa speakers

Path 2: The PRO approach
Create your own border router or use CHIP Tool on Linux/macOS. The big advantage of this path is that all matter device types and functions will be supported.

Matter over Thread:
You can also set one up yourself by following the instructions in the Testing Matter in the nRF Connect SDK documentation. Here, you can choose between running the border router and CHIP tool on one device or two separate devices. This method requires the following hardware:

• 1x PC with Ubuntu (20.04 or newer), and/or
• 1x Raspberry Pi Model 3B+ or newer with Ubuntu (20.04 or newer) instead of Raspbian OS

In addition to:

• 1x Bluetooth LE dongle (can be embedded inside the PC, like it is on Raspberry Pi)
• 1x nRF52840 DK or nRF52840 Dongle - for the Radio Co-Processor (RCP) device

For Matter over Wi-Fi
In this setup, you use CHIP Tool on your PC and your home Wi-Fi. Follow the instructions in the Matter over Wi-Fi documentation on how to do this on Linux or MacOS.

Submission Tips

• The judging criteria allocate 20 points for creativity. Judges will examine how you think beyond the conventional smart home scenario and embrace a human-centered approach. Build your project's story to address a specific individual, family, or community. In your development process, consider their unique needs and challenges, and demonstrate in your Hackster project your design truly addresses their requirement.
• Developing custom hardware is not a requirement for submission. Demonstrating a prototype based on the provided hardware is sufficient. Though individuality is appreciated, starting with an existing device can save time and resources.
• Include a short demonstration video in your project submission, and you'll gain 10 bonus points.

Prizes

Top Projects

1st Place

1 winner

$2000 virtual gift card + Nordic Swag

2nd Place

1 winner

$500 virtual gift card + Nordic Swag

3rd Place

1 winner

$300 virtual gift card + Nordic Swag

Runner Ups

10 runner-up winners will receive surprise hardware and Nordic swags

10 winners

T-shirt, swag and surprise hardware

-

$100 value

Wild Card

One judge's choice winner will be awarded a smart home hub and Nordic swag.

1 winner

Smart Home Hub

-

$500 value

Judges

Finn Boetius | Product Marketing Engineer | Nordic Semiconductor

Finn gained his Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg (2014). He earned his Master Craftsman Electrician title from the Chamber of Crafts in Flensburg. Finn started his career as a Product Marketing Manager for microcontrollers, and worked as Field Application Engineer and led a specialized electrician company for three years. Finn now works as a Product Marketing Engineer for Nordic. Finn‘s focus areas are Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, and Matter.

Marte Løkken Myrvold | Application Engineer | Nordic Semiconductor

Marte joined Nordic Semiconductor as a student intern in 2017. She started working full-time as an Application Engineer in 2020 after finishing her M.Sc. in Cybernetics and Robotics from The Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Working in Technical Support, she helps customers in Nordic's Developer community, DevZone, focusing mainly on Matter, Zigbee, Thread, and Wi-Fi.

Chris LaPre | Head of Technology | Connectivity Standards Alliance

Chris plays an integral role in several key initiatives for the Connected Standards Alliance, from recruiting and supporting new and expanding ecosystems to providing technical expertise and guidance in our marketing and developer programs. Chris also represents the Alliance as a guest speaker in key market segment events and speaking engagements. With a background in embedded systems, wireless, and developer community, Chris has been working at Zigbee companies since 2004, most recently in the Iris program at Lowe’s.

Resources

About us

Nordic Semiconductor is a Norwegian fabless semiconductor company specializing in wireless communication technology that powers the Internet of Things (IoT). Nordic was established in 1983 and has more than 1000 employees across the globe. Our award-winning Bluetooth Low Energy solutions pioneered ultra-low power wireless, making us the global market leader. Our technology range was later supplemented by ANT+, Thread and Zigbee, and in 2018 we launched our low power, compact LTE-M/NB-IoT cellular IoT solutions to extend the penetration of the IoT. The Nordic portfolio was further complemented by Wi-Fi technology in 2021.