2018 China-US Young Maker Competition

The challenge

Win a free board and use it to build, add to or improve your project!

Boards will begin shipping May 18th.

Welcome to the 2018 China-US Young Maker Competition!

Do you have an idea that would make a more sustainable, efficient and interconnected tomorrow? We are calling upon innovative US and China makers to submit project ideas focusing on community development, education, environmental protection, health & fitness, energy, transportation or other areas of sustainable development.

The top ten projects selected will be invited to fly to Beijing, China as semi-finalists for the final competition, organized by the China Ministry of Education, held August 13-17. The all-expenses-paid trip is applicable to the individual contributor or up to five members of a team. Final prizes are no joke either. You can win up to $15,000 for first place, $8,000 for second, or $4,500 for third… along with international bragging rights!

Can't make it to Beijing? No problem! There are 35 additional chances to win Google prizes by submitting your project to this platform by June 22nd.

The best part? No restrictions on hardware or technology.

We recommend using open source technologies like Android Things, Mobile OS: Android, TensorFlow but submissions are not limited to Google platforms. In fact, there are no limitations on the hardware, software or cloud services used. This is the perfect opportunity to submit those off-the-wall ideas that didn’t fit the mold of contests past!

See submissions guidelines below.

*Please be aware that some platforms may not be accessible in China.

China-US Young Maker Competition Stages:

Stage 1 : Individuals/teams must submit projects to this contest page for judging. The top 10 US individuals/teams will be selected for the next stage.

Stage 2: From July to mid-August, selected individuals/teams will refine their projects and apply for their Chinese tourist visa (costs will be reimbursed).

Stage 3: Selected individuals/teams will join the final competition in Beijing, China, August 13-17, 2018 for a chance to win cold, hard cash.

Opportunities in China for Finalists

• Round-trip airfare, visas, hotels and meals for up to five team members
• Individuals/Teams can participate on a Beijing tour August 14th

How to Submit Your Idea:

• Must be a legal resident of the United States between the ages of 18-40.
• Create a free Hackster.io account.
• Register to participate in this contest by clicking "Register as a Participant."
• Post a short demo video with your submission.
• Finish by submitting a complete project. Click "Submit my final entry."

Our Judges

Aaron Cunningham

Global Makerspace Lead

Aaron is the global makerspace lead at Google. Leading a team of over 120 makerspace coordinators, he focuses on Googler engagement and growth at over 40 makerspaces in Google offices around the world. Aaron oversees all aspects including budgets, safety, training, and the sharing of best practices to foster and encourage making as a means of driving innovation across Google. Previously, he was a technical program manager and unmanned test pilot for Project Wing at X. Before joining Google, Aaron spent six years building technical solutions for defense and homeland security training programs.

Aimin Zhu

University Relations Manager, Google China

Aimin is the University Relations Manager at Google China, fostering the education collaborations with China Ministry of Education and schools at all levels. Aimin received his MS degree from Shanghai JiaoTong University, majoring in Pattern Recognition and Intelligent Control, and has a BS degree from Xi’an JiaoTong University, majoring in Automatic Control.

Adam Benzion

Founder, CEO of Hackster.io

Adam Benzion calls himself an accidental hardware entrepreneur who founded and sold a hardware startup, then shipped products from CES booths to Best Buy shelves. Understanding that “hardware is hard”, he ended up as the Co-founder and CEO of Hackster.io, the platform for learning and building hardware. Adam is a Microsoft alumni and enjoys his rainy Seattle.

Laura Kassovic

President & Co-Founder, Mbientlabs

Laura Kassovic is the Co-founder and CEO of MbientLab and holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree. Mbientlab is the creator of MetaWear, a sensor platform for R&D in the healthcare sector. The platform includes wearable motion, environment, and bio sensors that are primarily used for physiotherapy, clinical trials, and medical research.

Rex St. John

IoT Ecosystem Sr. Manager at Arm

Rex St. John is Sr. Manager, IoT Ecosystem at Arm where he leads a global team focused on supporting a diverse range of developer ecosystems building solutions in robotics, drones, AI, cameras, voice, automotive, embedded and the Arm Innovator Program.

Our five judges look forward to reviewing your projects!

*Are you a Chinese-based innovator? Submit your idea to the Chinese site for a chance to head to the finals!

Co-Sponsors:

• Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (affiliated to China Ministry of Education to provide service to promote scholarly exchange between China and other parts of the world)
• Tsinghua University (Established in 1911 as one of the leading universities in China)
• Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group (Established in 1997, a large state-owned cultural enterprise based in Beijing)
• Google Information Technology (China) Company Limited (sponsor)

Prizes

Grand Prize: Trip to the Final Competition

10 winners

You and your team will win an all-expense-paid trip to Beijing, China to compete in the final competition.

Second Place

5 winners

Google Nest

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$250 value

Third Place

10 winners

Google Home

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$130 value

Fourth Place

20 winners

Google AIY Voice Kit

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$25 value