OKDO Offers $50K Partnership Prize in Engineering Challenge

The ROCK Engineering Challenge invites engineers, developers, educators, inventors and entrepreneurs, to submit an idea based on the OKdo ROCK single board computers (SBC) and compute modules, including the recently released ROCK 5B platform (RRP $159). Powered by the Rockchip RK3588 SoC, the next-generation board is a SBC opening up new application potential. The challenge is free to enter and open to everyone until April 12, 2023.

The first 500 qualifying entries to the challenge will be sent a ROCK board of their choice. The most innovative entry will be rewarded with a grand prize consisting of a partnership with OKdo to scale up the project, valued at $50,000.

“We want to enable builders, engineers, entrepreneurs, makers, hackers, educators and businesses to create awesome projects that are sustainable, responsible and profitable. The community is at the heart of OKdo and DesignSpark,” says Sander Arts, chief marketing officer at OKdo. 

“This challenge is a unique opportunity for innovative companies and individuals to gain access to Okdo’s slate of technology as well as their technology expertise and customer centricity. With Okdo, partners get a faster way to market with higher chances of success,” says Bram Geenen, co-founder and CEO at Wevolver.

The challenge is open to teams across the world eager to create the products and systems of tomorrow. To enter, submit a written idea for a part, product or system that incorporates a ROCK SBC or compute module. The best entries should clearly demonstrate how their plans leverage the advanced features of the ROCK platform such as 8K video handling and Arm DynamIQ Quad Cortex A76 driven artificial intelligence capability.

The challenge’s jury panel includes the following thought leaders and influencers:

• Rachel Gordon, community manager at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
• Matt Johnson, co-founder and CEO of LAIIER
• Majenta Strongheart, director, DesignLab at Supplyframe
• Bram Geenen, co-founder and CEO of Wevolver
• Richard Curtain, senior vice president of RS Group and chief technical officer at OKdo

The jury will reward projects that push the boundaries of SBC applications. The entries will be judged based on the following criteria not exclusive to: industrial design, solutions oriented, impact on the industry, sustainability, scalability, creativity and commercial feasibility.

The grand prize winner of the OKdo Single Board Computer Challenge will enter into a partnership valued at $50,000 with OKdo to bring their idea to market. The partnership will include a combination of product design, prototyping, business and marketing consultancy, and manufacturing/distribution expertise. The prize will be designed in collaboration with the winner.

The Wevolver Community Winner is decided through a public poll of the finalists and will be given the opportunity to pitch to the senior management of OKdo and its partners.

To learn more about the design contest and to submit your entry, click here.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.