Introducing the Engadget x LEGO MINDSTORMS Manhattan robot contest
The Muppets did it; Godzilla did it; and now it's your turn to take Manhattan. As part of Expand 2014, we're teaming up with LEGO® MINDSTORMS® to host a robot-building competition. Here's the deal: The LEGO Group will provide LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 kits to 10 people, based on their killer robot concepts. The challenge has two themes: Build a robot that can "take" Manhattan (e.g., Godzilla-style creatures) or build a robot that can "take care" of Manhattan (e.g., autonomous trash collectors).
The winner in each category will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS Trophy and a $500 LEGO® gift card. Robots will be judged by an Engadget editor, a LEGO MINDSTORMS expert, a representative from the LEGO Group and a tech "celebrity" judge. We will select five competitors from each category and send each a MINDSTORMS EV3 kit and a selection of LEGO® Technic elements in advance. If you've got a mind for MINDSTORMS, enter here.
LEGO MINDSTORMS has already hosted two building competitions in San Francisco and Seattle, where corporate groups from Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, Amazon, Pandora, Nordstrom, HTC, zulily and many more competed for bragging rights. To see a video recap of the Seattle "Build 4 Good" event in May, click here.
The robots will be shown off at Engadget Expand NY 2014 in New York City at the Javits Center the afternoon of November 7th and 8th, and winners will receive their prizes on the main stage. Travel and accommodations are not included, and participants are responsible for all costs associated with getting to and from NYC. Please see the official rules here.
The submission period starts today, Monday, September 15 and ends at 11:59 AM EDT on Monday, September 22, so get your applications in now!
