Cellular IoT Challenge

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

Participants who receive free hardware and do not submit a project may be ineligible for future giveaways unless the hardware is returned.

If you receive free hardware and become unable to submit a project, please contact us at rick@soracom.io and let us know as soon as possible. We may choose to arrange for the hardware to be shipped to another participant.

To be eligible for judging, you must meet ALL of the following requirements unless otherwise stated:

General Requirements

• You must be registered as a participant for this contest.
• You must create a Soracom user console account.
• Your entry must be your own original work.
• Your entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other Hackster contest.
• Your team is no more than 2 members per entry.*

*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 full rules below for details). Only one prize will be awarded to teams.

Hardware Application Requirements

Note: If you choose to submit an application for free hardware, you must meet the following requirements. If not, continue to 'Hardware/Software Build Requirements' below.

• Your hardware application must be submitted via the online application form found on the contest page’s “apply for hardware” tab.
• Your hardware application must be written in English.
• Your hardware application must use Soracom's SIM
• Your hardware application must make creative use of cellular IoT connectivity
• Your hardware application must be submitted by March 18, 2019.

Hardware/Software Build Requirements

• Your project must take advantage of Soracom 2G/3G/LTE connectivity.
• Your project must demonstrate the value of cellular connectivity for IoT. Value can be considered broadly. Some successful projects may have economic value; others may have entertainment value. Some may cost money but save lives or increase happiness. Whimsy is welcome and creativity counts.
• Your project should consider how to scale for production. You only need to build one, but consider how it would work if you built 1,000? Would it be efficient in operation? Would it be secure against attacks?
• There are no hardware requirements other than the Soracom SIM. You are welcome to use the Seeed Studio WIO Tracker, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or other platform of your choice.
• We are not placing any restrictions on vertical categories. We are more interested in seeing how creative you are with cellular connectivity which often involves projects around monitoring remote devices, controlling remote devices, or tracking the location of devices.

Project Documentation Requirements

• Your project must include a project name, short project description, cover image, bill of materials (BOM), full instructions, images, and relevant resource files (schematics, code, CAD).
• Your project must be written in English.
• Your project must be submitted by June 2, 2019 11:59pm California time.

Hackster Impact Prize Additional Requirements:

• Your project must include a paragraph describing which SDG it contributes to, and how it contributes to it.

Your project will be judged according to the rubric below:

• Project Documentation (40 points)
  Story/Instructions - Show how you created your project, including images, screenshots, and/or a video demonstration of your solution working as intended. Ask yourself: “If I were a beginner reading this project, would I understand how to recreate it?”
• Complete BOM and Schematics -
  Detail the hardware, software and/or tools used. Draw your circuit diagrams using software like Fritzing.org and/or take detailed photographs.
• Code & Contribution -
  Include working code with helpful comments.
• Products (20 points)
  Use of a Soracom SIM is required. This automatically gives you access to the Soracom User Console and API. You may also want to take advantage of additional services like Soracom Funnel (for streamlined connection to AWS), Soracom Harvest or Lagoon (serverless visualization and dashboards), or Soracom Beam (IoT data optimization)
  
  We will also be looking for projects that make creative use of AWS IoT services and capabilities.
• Architecture and operational excellence (20 points)
  Your project should take into account the path from prototype to production and consider factors such as cost per device, security, scalability and reliability. Successful projects will be architected to scale efficiently to a volume of thousands of devices. You may want to consider:
• Does cost per device makes sense for the problem you are trying to solve?
• What if a device gets into trouble in the field? Is there a way to reach out and troubleshoot remotely?
• Is it possible for an attacker to hack into your device? Do you have a mechanism to prevent attacks?
• When producing thousands of devices, how would you manage authentication credentials and configuration?
• Creativity (20 points)
  Your idea doesn’t have to be original, but it should be creative (a fresh take on an old idea is often worth as much as a brand new idea)

For the Hackster Impact Prize, your project will be judged according to the rubric below:

• Project Documentation (40 points)
  Story/Instructions - Show how you created your project, including images, screenshots, and/or a video demonstration of your solution working as intended. Ask yourself: “If I were a beginner reading this project, would I understand how to recreate it?”
• Complete BOM and Schematics -
  Detail the hardware, software and/or tools used. Draw your circuit diagrams using software like Fritzing.org and/or take detailed photographs.
• Code & Contribution -
  Include working code with helpful comments.
• Impact (40 points)
  How big of a problem are you solving? How well does your solution address the problem? How feasible is it? How easy will it be to implement at scale?
• Creativity (20 points)
  Your idea doesn’t have to be original, but it should be creative (a fresh take on an old idea is often worth as much as a brand new idea)

• Trip to Japan

• 1st Place: Drone Bundle
• 2nd Place: Virtual Reality Bundle
• 3rd Place: Smartphone Stabilizer Bundle

• 1st Place: Drone Bundle
• 2nd Place: Virtual Reality Bundle
• 3rd Place: Smartphone Stabilizer Bundle

• 1st Place: Drone Bundle
• 2nd Place: Virtual Reality Bundle
• 3rd Place: Video Stabilizer Bundle

• $250 Gift card + Video interview + More

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”.

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.

Step 3: Review and submit your project

• Review your project and make sure it meets all the submission requirements.
• Upload a previously created project by clicking “add existing project” on the contest page.
• Submit your project by June 2, 2019 11:59pm California time by clicking “review and submit project” on the contest page.

free devices winners will be announced by March 20, 2019. The list of winners will be visible on the Ideas tab.

Contest winners will be announced on June 7, 2019. The list of winners will be visible on the main page (Contest brief).

You are eligible to enter if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

• You are at least 13 years of age
  If you are 12 years or younger, you must receive a legal guardian's permission and have them complete Hackster’s contest permission form prior to submitting an entry into this contest. Send any questions to contests@hackster.io.
• You are not a resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria
  US export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to the countries listed above, therefore residents of these countries are not eligible to participate in this challenge.
• You are not involved in the execution or administration of this contest.
• You are not an immediate family member or household member of a Hackster, Soracom, AWS, or Seeed Studio employee.