The annual Hackaday Prize competition has opened with a top prize of $25,000. This year's theme is finding ways to rethink and refresh hardware in light of the Covid pandemic.

The Hackaday Prize is a global hardware design challenge where entrants are asked to focus on "widespread and impactful innovation".

In addition to the $25,000 top prize, there are prizes for second place ($15,000) through to fifth place ($3,000), with 50 runners up prizes of $500.

There are five main categories in this year's competition, starting with "Rethink Displays".

Entries for this category should show experimental new display technologies or ways to refresh older ones to help people communicate better or more effectively. Examples suggested by the judges include using various technologies to create unique displays (LEDs, POV, e-Ink, etc.); portable and low-power display solutions for the field; new approaches to UI and visual communication; or creating eye-friendly displays without the need for filters or glasses.

The second category is Refresh Work-From-Home Life, where entrants should design tools or devices that make it easier to work from home, or help achieve a healthier work-life balance. The judges said  that for this challenge, they want to see solutions for ergonomics, for productivity, and anything else that transforms the concept of working from home. Suggestions include open source options for ergonomic standing desks, workbenches, etc; productivity tools like timers or reminders to take breaks and stretch; and hacking chairs, lighting, keyboards, or mice.

Reimagine Supportive Tech is the title for the third category. The brief for this is to create technology that acts as a better, more inclusive version of an existing device, or design beginner-friendly tech for aspiring engineers. Solutions for this category should make it easier for others to build electronics or make electronics devices more accessible; modular, hackable, or affordable.

A Redefine Robots category is looking for entries that utilize hardware to create an assistant, a companion, - or something else entirely.  Examples suggested for this include companion bots that provide motivation, positivity, or work-life balance reminders; collaborative (cobots) that assist with simple tasks like pick-and-place or other functions; and robots that translate or otherwise transcribe spoken dictation.

The final category is a wildcard option for any ideas that don't fit one of the other categories.

More Information

Hackaday Prize Webpage

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