The IEEEDuino – IEEE Region 8 Student Hardware Contest is an exciting challenge where participants, either individually or in teams, design, build, program, and demonstrate a working hardware prototype within a limited timeframe. The competition promotes creativity, engineering skills, and problem-solving abilities in embedded systems, electronics, and hardware-software integration. After entries are judged, winners will be awarded prizes as described and all eligible entries will receive a participation certificate. All students that wish to enter the contest must submit a proposal and design document in advance of the ‘design stage’ deadline to be considered for the contest.

The contest aims to inspire IEEE university students across IEEE Region 8 to push their technical limits by developing innovative hardware projects. The following principles guide the competition:

  • Open to all IEEE student and graduate student members in IEEE Region 8, regardless of their level of expertise.
  • Projects must present fresh ideas or unique solutions to existing problems, avoiding any previously submitted work.
  • Designs should be realistic and implementable within the contest’s timeframe and budget.
  • The contest fosters hands-on learning, encouraging participants to expand their technical and project management skills.
  • Teams are encouraged to work effectively, leveraging each member’s strengths to achieve their goal.

By participating in this contest, participants agree to abide by the terms and conditions as established by IEEE. IEEE reserves the right to qualify all submissions and to reject any submissions that do not meet the requirements for participation as established by IEEE.

 

Contest: IEEEDuino – IEEE Region 8 Student Hardware Contest (“Contest”)

Sponsor: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Incorporated, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, 08854 (“Sponsor”) through IEEE Region 8

Agreement to Official Rules:  By participating in this contest, entrants agree to abide by the terms and conditions thereof as established by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right to alter any of these Official Rules at any time and for any reason. All decisions made by Sponsor concerning the Contest including, but not limited to the cancellation of the Contest, shall be final and at its sole discretion.

 

Eligibility: The Contest is open to residents of the IEEE Region 8 (EMEA geographical region), where permitted by local law, who are the age of eighteen (18) and older. Employees of the Sponsor, its agents, affiliates, and their immediate families are not eligible to enter the contest. Entrants may be subject to rules imposed by their institution or employer relative to their participation in contests and should check with their institution or employer for any relevant policies. Void where prohibited by law.

To be eligible to enter this contest, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Your entire team must be comprised of active IEEE student or graduate student members.
  • You must be registered in one of the IEEE Sections within IEEE Region 8.
  • Participants can compete individually or in teams of up to four. A team leader must be appointed at registration as the primary point of contact.
  • All projects must be original and not previously submitted to other competitions.
  • Participants may work from home, university laboratories, or dedicated maker spaces if permitted.
  • Teams may be supported and promoted by IEEE student branches or IEEE section officers, though this is not mandatory.
  • Hardware and building resources must be purchased or sourced by your team, and will remain the property of your team throughout the contest. Hardware may be loaned or donated by any external party such as your university or IEEE section.
  • No financial support is available from IEEE for the purchase of hardware or computer equipment, while IEEE Region 8 SAC will reimburse part of expenses to qualified teams selected for the build stage. Kindly note that teams must provide valid invoices for reimbursement.
  • You must have the means to record a video of the finished device in operation to demonstrate its capabilities.

 

Entry Period: This contest commences on the date and time posted on the IEEEDuino social media page and website. Sponsor’s server is the official clock for the Contest. Entries received before or after the entry period are void. Posted contest deadlines will be adhered to where possible, however time-zone differences, public/religious holidays and (for the build phase) delivery delays will be accounted for and may result in final deadline variation between teams and/or sections. Please contact the team for further details.

 

How To Enter: Student members are invited to enter the contest, which will be delivered in two phases:

  • Phase 1: Design Phase (Proposal Submission)
    • In the design phase, teams submit their project ideas for evaluation. During this phase, students are expected to plan, design and/or simulate and justify their proposal.
    • Teams must submit a document explaining their project idea, including:
      • Problem statement and solution overview
      • List of hardware components intended for use
      • Software design (block diagrams, flowcharts, etc.)
      • Budget Estimation: Provide a preliminary Bill of Materials (BOM) and cost estimation, ensuring the total cost does not exceed $200 USD
    • Evaluation: Judges will assess projects based on creativity, feasibility, environmental impact and technical merit.
    • From the submitted ideas, up to 10 submissions will be selected to participate in the build phase.
  • Phase 2: Build Phase (Prototype Development)
    • In the build phase, the selected teams from the design phase will implement their projects and submit their working prototypes. Students may build their design at home, or may use their university laboratories to extend the hardware using passive and active components on a breadboard. No additional marks will be awarded for the use of external hardware.
    • Teams must submit:
      • A video showcasing the prototype’s functionality and explaining its features “5 mins maximum”.
      • Submit well-documented source code, highlighting key functions and algorithms.
      • A final, categorized BOM detailing components used, their costs, and sources.
      • Provide block diagrams, circuit schematics, and justifications for design choices.
      • Prepare a clear, concise pitch presentation summarizing the project’s concept, value, and impact.
      • A detailed report outlining the project’s development, challenges faced, and solutions implemented.
    • Evaluation: The final entries will be judged based on the demonstrated and explained device. Virtual or in-person finals may be organized with timely notice, during which a team representative should be able to attend (reasonable transportation costs should be covered by the Sponsor) in order to showcase and present the team project and answer to judges questions.
    • From the submitted entries, those which follows all rules will be qualified for a reimbursement of up to $100 USD for hardware costs with valid receipts.

Only entries submitted in accordance with these Official Rules will be eligible for consideration. No alternate means of entry are permitted. All entries become the exclusive property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

 

Selection of Winner: The decision of the judges, in both the design and build stages, is final. Judging will be based on a number of criteria, including the design and research process, if the design is realisable within the timescale, the manufacturing or build process, innovation and originality, enviromental and sustainability impact, and the practicality and usefulness of the idea with reference to the annual ‘theme’.

 

Utilized Components Specifications:

  • Allowed Microcontrollers & Boards
    • Any microcontroller (MCU) or development board is allowed, including but not limited to:
    • STM32, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico, Arduino, Teensy, Microchip MCUs, Nordic MCUs, TI MSP430, custom-built MCUs, etc.
    • Single-board computers like Raspberry Pi (only if justified in design).
    • Pre-built robotics kits are not allowed unless heavily modified.
  • Sensors & Actuators
    • Any commercially available sensors and actuators can be used.
    • Custom-built sensors are allowed but must be well-documented.
    • Military or industrial-grade proprietary components are not allowed.
  • Power & Batteries
    • Only battery-powered devices are allowed.
    • Extra points will be awarded for the development of Battery Management Systems (BMS) and for battery efficiency.
  • Budget & Cost
    • Maximum total cost: $200 USD (while up to $100 USD can be considered as reimbursable).
    • A Bill of Materials (BOM) must be provided for cost verification.
    • Reused components are allowed but must be valued at market price.
  • Size & Weight Limits
    • Maximum physical size: 30cm x 30cm x 30cm.
    • Maximum weight: 2 kg (unless the challenge specifies otherwise).
  • Software & Programming Rules
    • All programming languages are acceptable.
    • Open-source libraries may be used with proper citation.
    • No AI pre-trained models are allowed.
    • Allowed communication protocols: I2C, SPI, UART, BLE/Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LoRa, RS-422, RS-485, RS-232.
    • Source code must be submitted with documentation in the Build Phase.

 

Copyright and Exclusions: Your entire entry must only include material (including hardware, source code – both open source and third-party sourced, user interface, music, video or images) that you own or that you have permission from the copyright/trademark owner to use. Your and/or your team’s entry may not include copyrighted materials (such as source code, user interface, background music, images or video) unless you own or have permission to use the materials. Your entry may be disqualified if copyrighted materials, including but not limited to these examples, are a part of your entry without appropriate licensing or permissions. If you do use permissible copyrighted materials, you must include the permissions information by citing the artist/creator and license information. Note that even material released under sites such as Creative Commons, common open source code licenses, and other similar licensing may need permission or acknowledgment as per the specific license.

Project entries must NOT contain ANY of the following content:

  • Content that is sexually explicit, profane or pornographic.
  • Content that is violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group.
  • Content that promotes illegal drugs, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing) or any particular political agenda.
  • Content that is obscene or offensive.
  • Content that defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies.
  • Content that communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which the IEEE wish to associate.
  • Content that violates any law.

 

Prize:  The prize(s) for the Contest are being sponsored by IEEE Region 8. The winner(s) (“Winner(s)”) shall receive $400 first place, $250 second place and $100 third place cash rewards (“Prize”).  Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize or prize component of equal or greater value in its sole discretion for any reason at time of award.  Sponsor shall not be responsible for service obligations or warranty (if any) in relation to the Prize. Prize may not be transferred prior to award. All other expenses associated with use of the Prize, including, but not limited to local, state, or federal taxes on the Prize, are the sole responsibility of the Winner(s). Winner(s) understand that delivery of a prize may be void where prohibited by law and agrees that Sponsor shall have no obligation to substitute an alternate prize when so prohibited.

 

Notification of Potential Prize Winners: The Winner(s) will be notified by e-mail within 14 days of the selection date. If a Winner(s) does not acknowledge acceptance of the Prize within 14 business days after being notified that he/she is a Winner(s), or if a potential Winner(s) does not return the signed claim forms within the required time, or is otherwise found to be ineligible or not in full compliance with these Official Rules, another Winner(s) will be chosen using the same procedure specified above. Potential Winner(s) may be asked to execute and return to Sponsor a declaration of eligibility and liability/publicity release, where lawful, within fourteen (14) days of attempted notification. Winner(s) may waive the right to receive the Prize. The decisions of Sponsor are final and binding in all respects.

 

Release, Publicity, and Privacy:  By receipt of the Prize and/or, if requested, by signing an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release, the Winner(s) consents to the use of his or her name, likeness, business name and address by Sponsor for advertising and promotional purposes, including but not limited to on Sponsor’s social media pages, without any additional compensation, except where prohibited. No entries will be returned. All entries become the property of Sponsor. The Winner(s) agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its officers, directors, employees, affiliated companies, agents, successors and assigns from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest.

Sponsor assumes no responsibility for computer system, hardware, software or program malfunctions or other errors, failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human or technical in nature, or for damaged, lost, late, illegible or misdirected entries; technical, hardware, software, electronic or telephone failures of any kind; lost or unavailable network connections; fraudulent, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions whether caused by Sponsor, the users, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest; or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions or downloading, that may limit, delay or prevent an entrant’s ability to participate in the Contest.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this contest and award a prize from entries received up to the time of termination or suspension should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control, unauthorized human intervention, malfunction, computer problems, phone line or network hardware or software malfunction, which, in the sole opinion of Sponsor, corrupt, compromise or materially affect the administration, fairness, security or proper play of the contest or proper submission of entries.  Sponsor is not liable for any loss, injury or damage caused, whether directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from downloading data or otherwise participating in this Contest.

 

Right to Use Entries:  By entering the Contest, entrants grant Sponsor a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide right and license to reproduce, publish, display, edit and otherwise use the submitted Entries, and entrant’s full name and city and state/province/country of residence, photograph, likeness, voice and institutional affiliation, in print or any offline or online and other media for purposes of editorials, exhibition, advertising, publicity and promotion without additional compensation or permission, unless prohibited by law.

 

Representations and Warranties Regarding Entries: By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that your Entry does not and shall not comprise, contain, or describe, as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion: (A) false statements or any misrepresentations of your affiliation with a person or entity; (B) personally identifying information about you or any other person; (C) statements or other content that is false, deceptive, misleading, scandalous, indecent, obscene, unlawful, defamatory, libelous, fraudulent, tortious, threatening, harassing, hateful, degrading, intimidating, or racially or ethnically offensive; (D) conduct that could be considered a criminal offense, could give rise to criminal or civil liability, or could violate any law; (E) any advertising, promotion or other solicitation, or any third party brand name or trademark; or (F) any virus, worm, Trojan horse, or other harmful code or component. By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that you own the full rights to the Entry and have obtained any and all necessary consents, permissions, approvals and licenses to submit the Entry and comply with all of these Official Rules, and that the submitted Entry is your sole original work, has not been previously published, released or distributed, and does not infringe any third-party rights or violate any laws or regulations.

 

Limitations of Liability/Reserved Rights:  Neither Sponsor, its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies, nor its advertising or promotional agencies shall have any obligation, liability or responsibility with regard to (i) entries that contain incorrect or inaccurate information or do not comply with these Official Rules, (ii) entries, prize claims or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer, technical or other error of any kind, (iii) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures or difficulties of any kind, (iv) any condition caused by events beyond the control of Sponsor that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or delayed, (v) any printing or typographical errors in these Official Rules or any other materials associated with the Contest, or (vi) any damages or losses of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from participation in the Contest, accessing, uploading or downloading data in connection with the Contest, or acceptance, possession or use of any prize.  Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any entrant tampering with or abusing the entry process or the operation of the Contest or otherwise violating these Official Rules.  Sponsor, in its sole discretion, further reserves the right to cancel, terminate, suspend or modify the Contest if the Contest cannot be completed as planned because of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort and to select a winner from among eligible entries unaffected by such event, if any.

 

Disputes: EACH ENTRANT AGREES THAT: (1) ANY AND ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS, AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS CONTEST, OR ANY PRIZES AWARDED, SHALL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY, WITHOUT RESORTING TO ANY FORM OF CLASS ACTION, PURSUANT TO ARBITRATION CONDUCTED UNDER THE COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION RULES OF THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION THEN IN EFFECT, (2) ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS INCURRED, INCLUDING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ENTERING THIS CONTEST, BUT IN NO EVENT ATTORNEYS’ FEES; AND (3) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY ENTRANT BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN AWARDS FOR, AND ENTRANT HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, AND ANY OTHER DAMAGES, OTHER THAN FOR ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES, AND ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR OTHERWISE INCREASED.  ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES, OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANT AND SPONSOR IN CONNECTION  WITH THE CONTEST, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW, RULES OR PROVISIONS (WHETHER OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION) THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.  SPONSOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL OR OTHER ERROR IN THE PRINTING OF THE OFFER OR ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONTEST OR IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PRIZES.

 

Contest Results and Official Rules:  To obtain the identity of the Prize Winner and/or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Incorporated (“IEEE”), 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, 08854.