Registrations for The Telstra Innovation Challenge - 2017 in partnership with Landmark is now open.

Hurry! Registrations for both the University and Public streams of the Challenge are now open. There are limited number of places, so make sure you secure your place in the challenge.  Also check out and subscribe to the Telstra Innovation Challenge Channel

The Challenge

Solve some of the largest problems that Australian agriculture faces today by designing, hacking, and coding with a team of fellow innovators. Finalists will pitch their solution to an expert panel, be in the running for a range of great prizes, and help build the future of Australia's agricultural industry.

For starters, there's a hardware kit for each team (details below), which is yours to keep just for participating. On top of this, winning teams will receive some fantastic gear, a cash prize, and more!

The Telstra Innovation Challenge will be split into two different challenge streams: Public and University. Both streams will compete separately and at different times, and the top teams from each will be invited to our Finals Pitch Night in Melbourne on the 13of May. The winning team from each stream will be handsomely rewarded for their achievements.

- Keeping it moo-bile: Take advantage of Telstra's 4G network to connect your newly-created agricultural solution. We'll provide you with all the bits and pieces you need to get up and running with Australia's best mobile network.

- A bit of hardware hacking: We'll give you a handful of sensors, switches, lights and connectors, an Arduino, and something special we know you're going to love. It's up to you to hook it together into something useful! Don't feel constrained by the sensors we give you - feel free to bring your own too. Branch out and let your imagination bloom!

- And a lot of coding: Collect data and send it to Telstra's IoT Platform - then process, display, analyse or interact with your creation from the cloud using an extensive set of APIs.

Gurrowa

Gurrowa, which means Interchange in the Wurung language, is the centerpiece of Telstra's innovation and technology research capabilities, and will be the venue for the Public stream, final pitches, and awards ceremony.

Location: In the heart of Melbourne, level 2 at Telstra's Global Headquarters building at 242 Exhibition Street.

Massive Space: Flexible workspaces for up to 212 in total, from individual sit/stand desks to large project benches and quiet focus rooms.

On site workshops: Bench space for prototyping and a fully equipped electronics lab for testing

Social Hub: Presentation stage and social hub for finding out what's happening next and figuring out what to do about it.

The Kit

The supplied kit will include a microprocessor, a very special shield, sensors, switches, LEDs and everything else you need to prototype and build the future of agriculture.

Microprocessor: This nifty piece of hardware combines a sleek and simple form-factor with the energy-efficient functionality of Intel's Quark™ microprocessor and super-intellegent IntelCurie™ module. It also includes bluetooth, an onboard accelerometer, and a whole stack of additional features for you to hack. Find out more here.

Sensors and Switches: We'll give you a whole bunch of stuff to get going, but remember, you can add in whatever you want as well. More info about the kits, sensors, and registrations will be revealed in the near future.

Cellular Shield: Wow. We can't wait to show you what we've been cultivating here at Telstra. This cellular shield uses a brand new QuectelLTE Category 1 module powered by Qualcomm Technologies'chipset. This cool piece of tech has been specially optimised for low-power applications and is a key enabler for the future of IoT connectivity.

Rules and Judging

Rules

There are a few things to remember when getting your team together.

• Register your interest for either the Uni or Public challenges (not both), but be prepared to form a team with 2-4 members and a nominated team leader. Telstra employees can register, as well as the general public and university students.
• We're looking for both developers and creative contributors. That's not to say you can't be both! But figure out if you want to focus on the big picture idea or the details of implementation. When you form your team, make sure you have representatives from both camps.
• All coding for your entry must be done during the course of the challenge, although you are allowed to use any readily accessible open-source projects you like as building blocks - if you're not sure, just check with one of the organisers from Telstra.
• Your participation is subject to the Telstra Innovation Challenge Terms and Conditions, which you must read and agree to prior to registration.
• We reserve the right to disqualify teams from the event if we believe they are attempting to cheat, enter both the Public and Uni streams, or otherwise undermine the competition. Keep it fair, folks!

Judging

The judging panel will consist of senior leaders from Telstra and our partners for the event (stay tuned for more information). Teams will present their solution with a 5 minute pitch and will be assessed based on the following equally weighed criteria:

• Applicability to the agricultural challenge - your ability to clearly articulate the details of your solution
• Originality - the extent that you have created something new and exciting
• Technology used - your use of the tools provided for the challenge
• Execution - the quality of your completed prototype. We want you to go outside, stick your device in the dirt, and prove to the judges the quality of your construction.

Major prizes will be awarded to the winning team from each stream of the Challenge. In addition to the major prize, there may be supplementary prizes awarded for groups who perform particularly well in a specific category. All decisions are final and binding in all respects. Unless otherwise stated, all prizes are awarded to the winning team as a whole, not to individual members.

Registrations

Registration - University Stream

Times and Dates

Monday, 27/03/2017, 9:00 am – Saturday, 28/04/2017, 5:00 pm AEDT

Ticket Details

This ticket reserves your spot in the University Stream of the Telstra Innovation Challenge. Before registering for this ticket, please make sure to read and agree to the Terms and Conditions

Registration - Public Stream

Times and Dates

Saturday, 06/05/2017, 9:00 am – Saturday, 13/05/2017, 5:00 pm AEDT