DocBug

Maker contests at Instructables.com

Instructables.com (a Squid-labs startup founded by friends of mine from MIT) has three contests going for the best handmade item plus accompanying instructions on how to make it, something like $15,000 in prize money (not to mention bragging rights):

• Win a BrightStar Laser Cutter Contest: Publish an Instructable on any subject before June 17th. Grand prize is a BrightStar LG3040 laser cutter worth over $6000.

• Sew Useful Contest: Three categories: most useful thing that helps others in need, the best combination of sewing and technology and best Instructable tutorial. Winners in each category get a Singer QUANTUM® 9940 computerized sewing machine.

• iRobot Create Challenge: Build a robot to do something interesting / useful using the iRobot Create Programmable Robot platform (based on the Roomba vacuuming robot). Don't have an iRobot Create kit already? iRobot Corp. is donating 15 Scholarship Robot packages to those with the most interesting proposals. If you build the robot and enter the contest with it you get to keep the robot, even if you don't win. First place in this contest is $5000, second place gets a set of iRobot home robots worth just under $1000.