Hey Alexa! The Amazon Alexa Skill Contest

Natural voice interfaces are the next major disruption in computing. Be part of what's next!

Total prize pool of $3,000+

Hey Alexa! The Amazon Alexa Skill Contest
Hey Alexa! The Amazon Alexa Skill Contest
This contest is over! See all the winning entries. Want more chances to win prizes? Check out our active contests.

FAQ

General

Other questions


Did I win the contest? When will I receive my prize?

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

I submitted my project but it says "Awaiting moderation". Will it affect my eligibility?
As long as you submit your project before the deadline it doesn't matter when it is moderated. Just sit back and enjoy a well deserved break!
My project is locked and I can't edit it anymore. Why is that?
All projects entered in the contest are locked after the submission deadline to ensure that they remain the same during the judging process. They are then unlocked after winners are announced.
Somebody copied my entry! What can I do?
When judging entries, we take into account the submission date. When an entry is clearly plagiarized from another, we favor the original entry. If you believe the result of the judging is unfair, please email us at help@hackster.io to appeal.
What are the judging criteria?

Judging criteria:

 Amazon will judge all entries and select winners based on the following criteria:

  • Creativity (15 points)
  • Use of Voice User Interface (VUI) best practices (15 points)
  • Story/Instruction – Show how you created your project, including images, screenshots, and/or video (15 Points)
  • Published Skill (20 Points) (read about skill submission criteria)
  • Project Documentation including VUI diagram (10 Points)
  • Code – Include working code with helpful comments (10 Points)
  • Great photographs, videos and screenshots (10 Points)
  • Bonus: Use AWS Lambda to build your project, land extra points (5 points)

 

Prizes

  • For each bimonthly contest, the top ten entries will receive prizes as follows:
    • If the winning contestant has a US mailing address:
      • First prize (1): Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap
      • Second prize (3): Amazon Echo
      • Third prize (6): Amazon Tap
    • If the winning contestant has a mailing address outside of the US:
      • First prize (1): Gift card worth $310 (type of gift card to be mutually agreed by Hackster and Amazon)
      • Second prize (3): Gift card worth $180 (type of gift card to be mutually agreed by Hackster and Amazon)
      • Third prize (6): Gift card worth $130  (type of gift card to be mutually agreed by Hackster and Amazon)
    • Additionally, for each bimonthly contest the first 20 contestants to complete an eligible contest submission and have the skill published (skill must be published between the contest start and end dates) will receive a $100 gift card (type of gift card to be mutually agreed by Hackster and Amazon).
    • Amazon will also fund all gift cards distributed to winning contestants.  Hackster will be responsible for all prize fulfillment to contest participants.
What are the prizes?
First Place
  • Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap*
Second Place
  • Amazon Echo* (3 are available)
Third Place
  • Amazon Tap* (6 are available)
Fourth Place
  • $100 gift cards for first 20 contestants to complete an eligible contest submission and have the skill published (skill must be published between the contest start and end dates). * Only United States residents will receive devices as prizes. Intern... (20 are available)
What are the steps to enter the contest?

Here's how to Participate in the Contest:

 

  • Create a free Hackster.io account
  • Register to participate in the contest
  • Create an amazon developer account
  • Submit your project on this contest page

 

Project Submissions Should Include:

  1. Story and quality images
  2. Clear Project Documentation including VUI diagram
  3. BOM (Materials Used)
  4. Source code
  5. CAD files if relevant
  6. All project submissions must include a link to your published Amazon Alexa Skill
What is the contest timeline?

Contest begins:

April 8, 2016 at 8:00 AM PT

Submissions close:

May 31, 2016 at 12:59 PM PT

Winners announced:

June 15, 2016

When will winners be announced? Where can I see the list?

Contest winners will be announced on June 15, 2016. The list of winners will be visible on the main page (Contest brief).

Who is eligible to participate?

Eligibility criteriaContestants must (a) be at least 16 years of age, (b) be a resident of a country other than Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, (c) not be involved in the execution or administration of the Contest, and (d) not be an immediate family member or a household member of a Hackster employee. 

 

To be eligible for judging, an entry must meet the following content and technical requirements:

  • Contestants must create a free Hackster.io account and register as a participant for this contest.
  • Contestants must create an Amazon developer account to build a working submission.
  • Contestant must submit an an Amazon Alexa skill via the Hackster.io project template
  • Contestant must submit their project on this contest page by filling out the form "Submit my final entry"
  • All ideas must be submitted in the English language.

In addition:

  • Each entry must be the contestants’ own original work; and
  • Entries cannot have been selected as a winner in any other contest; and
  • Contestants must have obtained any and all consents, approvals or licenses required for you to submit your entry; and
  • Entries may not include any third party trademarks (logos, names) or copyrighted materials (music, images, video, recognizable people) unless you have obtained permission to use the materials.

 

Additional requirements if submitting a full project:

  • Each project must be fully documented on Hackster per the “project” template.
  • Each final project must be submitted as within the projects template.
  • Each final project must consist of the following materials:
    • Images
    • Instructions
    • BOM
    • Schematics
    • Code
    • CAD if any
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