Roadkill mitigation system (or, Windows Embedded at the Imagine Cup)
Windows Embedded is a sponsor of the Imagine Cup, have you heard of it? If not, Ye Olde Cup is a big MIcrosoft competition for students to build great stuff using Microsoft technologies. It's been around for seven years, there are sick prizes involved, and really smart students from around the world participate.
There are nine divisions in this year's competition, and I think embedded has the most hoopla, just after the software development category. Last year, about 400 teams submitted embedded entries, then 15 finalist teams went to Paris to present their embedded solutions to a panel of judges. Who picked a winner.
The 2008 theme was something along the lines of make something that helps the environment, so submitted projects included Team China's marine oil detecion device, Team Ireland's carbon neutral car (they drove it from Ireland to Paris for the Imagine Cup) and my favorite, Team Korea's roadkill mitigation system. I invite you to watch this little video about last year's embedded competition, to:
- Get a feel for what the imagine cup is like (it is fun, as far as I can tell)
- Watch the students present their embedded solutions
- Find out who our winner was (kind of a cute story)
- And finally, take a gander at the video MC, Scott Davis, who, OMG, SITS DIRECTLY NEXT TO ME IN BUILDING 119!!
This year the Imagine Cup theme is a simple little something I like to call solve the world's biggest problems. In our case, solve the world's biggest problems with an embedded device. The finals are going to be in Cairo in July and I imagine* that it will be off the hook, snitches.
More when I hear it.
Your friend,
Trika
*if you will