Now that we have your attention, we also want to know: Does your homebrew design have what it takes to be featured in the Design News Gadget Freak forum?
For those of you not familiar with Gadget Freak, here's the scoop: Gadget Freak builds aren't professional products, but they do showcase the spirit of innovation that's burning inside all design engineers. They also highlight that desert-island skill of making something functional and interesting out of a pile of spare parts.
Gadgets we've displayed include an automatic wireless release to free the family dog from a nighttime kennel and a robotic hand. We've seen electronically jazzed-up guitars and smart recycling disposal systems. Our Gadget Freaks have included student teams from engineering schools and home-based inventors. We recently posted a gadget made by an ingenious 15-year-old.
So, what are you waiting for?
If your project is accepted, we'll cut you a check for $500. You keep all the rights. We just ask for a three-month exclusive to show off your gadget to the world of fellow design engineers.
Let us know what kind of gadget you're building (remember, the more creative, the better)! Then we'll need the following items:
- A detailed description of the gadget
- Extensive, detailed build instructions
- At least two high-resolution photos of the gadget
- A high-resolution photo of you with the gadget
- Bill of materials spec'd from Allied Electronics
- A short, clear, high-resolution video of the gadget in action
Send your gadget idea to senior editor Rob Spiegel.
Happy building!
The editors of Design News have handpicked our favorite Gadget Freak cases from over the years, bringing them together in a dynamic digital edition, complete with videos. You can view them here!