2013 National microMedic Rules

Official Contest Rules & Entry Information

Purpose

A call to action to show the country what citizens can do with new technology, encouraging technical innovation using microcontrollers and sensors in the medical industry. New open-source medical and health products could improve warfighter care in battle, long-term veteran care, healthcare, and ultimately lower the cost of products available to the Federal Government.

The Competition

Educational and public participants will design a project or product for medical simulation (training) or a prototype medical device that performs a useful medical function and demonstrates technical abilities. The optional microMedic Application Idea Kit is an idea generator, and may be useful for creating the contest submittal. Parallax will host the microMedic discussion forum where participants may ask questions and share progress on their projects.

Important Contest Information

Eligibility

Open to educational and public applicants of all ages in the United States and Canada. Contestants may submit more than one application but will need to request a Project ID for both applications. Those 18 or under will need to have a legal guardian fill out a consent form. This contest is open only to domestic applicants. Applicants can work as a group. Please supply the names of all members in your group. Those 18 and under must participate in the educational category.

Cost

The contest has NO entry fee.

Prototypes for Simulation Only

Participants applications that are producing medical devices are prototypes to demonstrate potential.  Components in the microMedic Application Idea Kit are not intended for patient use.

Prizes

Over $25,000 in awards! Winners will be notified by August 15, 2013. Most projects will be posted on the Parallax Inc. website by September 17, 2013. Winners will receive a 1099 income tax form to report cash winnings.

* Educational Participants
Place Hardware Value
Super Cadet (1) $5,000
Sergeant Major (1) $3,000
Sergeant (2) $1000
Specialist (4) $500
Private (6) $250
Public Participants
Place Prize Money
Grand Medic (1) $5,000
General (1) $3,000
Colonel (1) $2000
Major (2) $1000
Captain (5) $500

 

*Applicants 18 and under must compete under the educational category. Educational participants will receive Parallax store credit equivalent to the prize value awarded. Hardware distribution is determined by applicant when entering the contest. Those over 18 can participate in the educational category only if in school.

Contest Timeline
Project IDs Jaunuary 13 – July 1, 2013
Final Project Submission July 31, 2013
Winners Notified August 15, 2013
Posted to Website September 17, 2013

Deadlines

Please see the contest timeline above. This contest ends at 11:59 PM US Pacific Time on July 31, 2013.

Project Ideas:

To help you brainstorm please view sample project ideas. Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list.

How to Participate

Steps to Participate:

  1. Refer to the application and category suggestions for the contest to gather ideas.
  2. Download the  microMedic Contest Application Form, save it to your computer, and fill it out. Email a completed form to micromedic@parallax.com to receive a contest number and request a free microMedic Application Idea Kit (limit one per person or team), if desired. Applications will be reviewed by a committee every two weeks, kits will ship to qualified applicants on the Wednesday following the review. The issuance of a Project Number represents a commitment on your behalf to submit a project in the contest. Participants under the age of 18 will also need to submit a Minor Liability Release Waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian.
  3. Start creating your project.
  4. Participate in the microMedic contest discussion forums hosted by Parallax, helping others and asking questions.
  5. Send in completed project to micromedic@parallax.com.
  6. Attend optional awards ceremony if you are a winner in the contest.

Note: if you encounter difficulties using the Contest Application Form, please email micromedic@parallax.com for assistance.

Contest Categories

Honorable mentions will be chosen in each of the following contest categories.

  • Most Creative Use of the microMedic Contest Kit
  • Best Integration of Fabrication (3D printing, CNC routing or machining, laser-cutting, shop tools)
  • Best Patient Application
  • Best Medical Tool or Device
  • Best Medical Training and Simulation Product
  • Best Wireless, Telemedicine or Robotic Application

This is not an exhaustive list. Please submit your application even if it falls outside this list of project suggestions. Judging will not occur per category. Each application will be judged relative to all other applications in its division.

Resources:

Judging & Scoring

Judges will be chosen by the US Army, TATRC, and CMU. Entries must employ a microcontroller for a substantial amount of the prototype's functionality and entries must be substantially developed for the purpose of this contest.

Judging Criteria:

  • USE OF MICROCONTROLLER: Does the project use a microcontroller to function? Winning applications will use a microcontroller as the brain of the application.
  • INNOVATION: Is the prototype concept creative and forward thinking? Does the prototype show a cheap and easy way to do something that was previously difficult and expensive?
  • EXECUTION: Is the prototype well-built or impressive in its operation? How well is the project documented? Submittals should be typed, organized and spell checked. Pictures and video must be in focus. The project report should be clear and well written.
  • UTILITY: Is the prototype potentially useful? Does the vision for the prototype advance military medicine?

Final Submission Guidelines

Guidelines:

All projects must be submitted by July 31, 2013 at 11:59pm PST. Please DO NOT send your physical project. Submissions MUST be done by email to microMedic@parallax.com. After submitting please look for a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation, send a follow-up email without any attachments. Late or partial entries will not be judged. Your submittal should include a project ID with the following in separate attachments:

  • PROJECT REPORT: Create a report explaining the cap abilities of your final project, demonstrating how well it meets judging criteria.
  • SOURCE CODE: Well-formatted and documented code is required so the judges may develop a reasonable understanding of the functionality. Include source code for any device used: embedded, computer or internet.
  • SCHEMATICS: Provide the schematics of the electrical circuits of your project.
  • DESIGN DRAWINGS: Provide any relevant drawings of your project that would aid in its recreation. Dimensions, assembly drawings, etc.
  • PICTURES: Post at least three photographs of your project including the electronics and the project in use. Post at least one photograph of the project designer/designers holding the project. Provide the photos in high-resolution.
  • VIDEOS: Provide videos of the project in action. The video may be posted as an attachment or hosted by a 3rd party video sharing site. Post the video for public viewing without future removal.

The judges may request the submittal of the physical project you designed. Judges may also request clarification of specific project details, and provide ongoing feedback within the forums. Parallax employees, including judges, may, at their discretion, provide assistance through forums posts.

Legal Considerations: Contact micromedic@parallax.com for licensing considerations. All submitted projects must be released under either MIT or Creative Commons 3.0 licenses as can be viewed at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, or equivalent. All applicants grant U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) Carnegie Mellon University and the Entertainment Technology Center, and Parallax Inc. print publication rights, whether they are selected as a winner or non-winning entrant. Parallax Inc. will post selected contest projects on our web sites. Selected applications may also be published in print advertising, images, or in our catalogs or books. By entering, applicants agree to release and hold harmless U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) Carnegie Mellon University and the Entertainment Technology Center, and Parallax Inc. U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center, and Parallax Inc. reserve the right to pull any application at any time for any reason. Contest open to residents of the United States of America and Canada. Employees of Parallax Inc. are not eligible to enter the contest.