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element14 Announces ‘IoT on Wheels’ Design Challenge Winners

element14 community members recognized for creating innovative IoT transportation solutions with boundary-pushing prototypes

Chicago, United States, December 19, 2017 – element14.com, the world’s largest electronic design community, has announced the winners of its ‘IoT on Wheels’ design challenge, sponsored by STMicroelectronics. The contest demonstrates the impact of IoT-connected transportation solutions through original prototypes created by element14 community members, exemplifying the critical role technology plays in making transportation safer, smarter and more efficient. This latest design challenge from Newark element14, the development distributor, underscores the company’s commitment to drive innovation and be a champion for makers as they use technology to change the world for the better.

Over the course of 11 weeks, the participants focused on design, research, prototyping, coding and testing their IoT-connected transportation solutions and posted frequent blog posts throughout the process on their element14 project pages. To help build their projects, each participant received a complimentary kit from ST Microelectronics containing the STM32 Nucleo MCU development board along with a sensor expansion board, Bluetooth LE expansion board, and WiFi expansion board. The top three winners are:

  • Grand Prize Winner – Traffic Predictor and Auto Pilot by Dixon Selvan – A traffic scanner using sonar technology, the device saves and uploads traffic data and uses the information to help people “avoid traffic like a bat.” As part of his design, Selvan created a motorized servo rig to attach to his motorbike that holds the sonar and STM32 Nucleo board steady as he zooms through open roads.
  • Runner Up – Konker Connection by Douglas Wong – To make off-roading motorbiking adventures safer, Wong used the STM 32 Nucleo to monitor his GPS location, the position of his bike and the resonance sound of the gas tank to determine how much gas remains. As part of his design process, Wong used 3D printing on a curved gas tank and reverse engineered some of the Nucleo pin outs.
  • Third Prize – Smart Drive by Sergey Vlasov – An open, public, Big-Data project to collect “red flag warnings” like emergency breaking or crash detection that would be logged and quickly shared with other drivers in close proximity to an accident.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media, element14 said: “We were blown away by all of the innovative designs the element14 community came up with for the ‘IoT on Wheels’ challenge and how they all showcased the integral role the Internet of Things plays in transportation. When we think about IoT, many of us just think about smart homes and wearables, but it is also playing a major role in making transportation safer and more efficient by making connected cars a reality.”

‘IoT on Wheels’ is the latest of the four design challenges held this year by element14  and Newark element14, which have all highlighted the ongoing role the community plays in driving innovation forward. The judges included element14 top member, Rachael Peterson, experts from ST Microelectronics and Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electronic, and Manufacturing Engineering.

To learn more about the ‘IoT on Wheels’ Design challenge, visit https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/iot-on-wheels 

About us

Premier Farnell is a global technology leader with over 80 years in the high service distribution of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair. Premier Farnell uses this experience to support its broad customer base, from hobbyists to engineers, maintenance engineers and buyers as ‘The Development Distributor’, working with leading brands and start-ups to develop new products for market, and supporting the industry as it seeks to develop the current and next generation of engineers.

Premier Farnell is a business unit of Avnet, Inc., (NYSE:AVT). Premier Farnell trades as Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America, and element14 throughout Asia Pacific.  Premier Farnell also sells direct to consumers through a network of resellers, as well as its CPCbusiness in the UK.

For more information, visit the website at http://www.premierfarnell.com

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