Challenge Summary
UPDATE: This contest has been extended! And in case three trips to the 2009 TopCoder Open and $7,500 in prize wasn't enough, AOL will be giving an iPod Touch to five submitters to this contest, selected at random after on Tuesday, January 27th.
The AOL/TopCoder Sensations Developer Challenge (SDC) will develop new and exciting solutions to accessibility challenges of modern internet applications. To kick off the SDC, this competition will determine which problems will be tackled.
We want your unique ideas on challenges disabled computer users face, and your solution to allow them to overcome those challenges.
The winning ideas will be developed over the next few months into fully functional applications and be presented at the 2009 TopCoder Open. This is a great opportunity to show your ideas to a lot of people and to help many more. Show us what you've got!
Entries must be your original work, and must not infringe on the copyright or licenses of others. Stock art, clip art, templates and other design elements from other sources are prohibited unless specifically permitted here in the Contest Details.
Developer Challenge Overview AOL and TopCoder have teamed to bring this exciting accessibility initiative to the 2009 TopCoder Open! Guided by input from a diverse community of individuals and organizations working on the forefront of advancing internet accessibility, the Sensations Developer Challenge will utilize all tracks of the TCO09 competition to challenge competitors to build solutions for improved usability of mainstream internet-based products by people with disabilities. More than $100,000 in prize money is associated with this Challenge, including a $25,000 Sensations Bonus Prize to be presented along with the winning applications live in Las Vegas at the TopCoder Open in June! To learn more about the AOL/TopCoder Sensations Developer Challenge, please visit http://sensations.aol.com. Accessibility Resources We highly encourage you to learn more about accessibility, including its challenges and solutions. The Advisory Board of the Sensations Developer Challenge has (also) provided some example ideas and suggestions based on their expertise and experience in the field of internet accessibility. These suggestions, along with many more accessibility resources can be found in the SDC Topic Center - http://sensations.aol.com/topic-center Submission Requirements and Deliverables Each competitor may submit up to five (5) unique ideas. The "Idea Application" template for a submission is attached. You may submit supplemental material at your own discretion (e.g. diagrams, screen mocks, etc.), to help illustrate your idea. Your submission should clearly and completely describe the problem you are solving, and how your solution functions. Later competitions will fill in the details of conceptualization and implementation, but you must present your case for why your idea should be built. ** This is NOT a design contest. You will NOT be judged on the quality of your visual design, but the quality of your idea. ** Selection Criteria The SDC will run from now until May 2009. We will develop the ideas put forward in this contest for presentation at the 2009 TopCoder Open in Las Vegas. The factors we are looking for are as follows: 1. Level of impact - We want to make a big impact on internet users. How much benefit will users of your application gain over the status quo? The more impact, the better. 2. Innovation - We are looking for new and revolutionary ideas that expand the boundaries of the accessible Internet. 3. Depth of concept - We need to understand your solution. Ideas must be well thought-out and clearly explained. The details will come later, but we need a solid starting point. 4. Feasibility - The first version of your application will be built during the SDC. Ideas that require new hardware or software platforms may not be appropriate for the SDC. However, as long as a first phase can be developed in the scope of the SDC, it will be considered. Submission Review Board The SDC review board will consist of experts from the field of accessibility and software development. They will select up to three (3) winners, whose ideas will be used as the basis for the applications developed in the rest of the SDC. The top three (3) winners will each receive a cash prize of $2000 and a trip to the TCO in Las Vegas! The review board will select and announce the winners within seven (7) days of submission closing. Forums Members of the advisory board, along with staff from AOL and TopCoder will be manning the forums to provide guidance and answer any questions you may have through the duration of this contest. We highly encourage to ask any and all questions you may have. Idea Examples These examples are only meant for reference. Do not duplicate or modify these ideas for your submissions. We are looking for original, creative ideas. 1. Many people do not have the manual dexterity to manipulate a mouse and keyboard, or the ability to speak for recognition programs. Imagine a communications hub that was based on a tool like http://cameramouse.org/ - allowing users to quickly navigate buddy lists and conversations with only head movements. 2. For many, the interfaces to basic computing tasks too complicated, and can get lost in the menus and icons of Windows. Older users, or users with cognitive disabilities may have a difficult time managing contact lists, email folders, and could easily become confused with multiple applications to accomplish similar tasks. Imagine an environment where an email desktop mimics a real world desktop - throw an email away and it is gone forever. Send an email and it leaves your desk. 3. From time to time, a blind person might want to ask a sighted person a quick question. Which tie is this, the green one, or is it blue? It's late in the evening, and you are confronted with a web page your screen access program won't render. Imagine an application which will allow a blind person to go on-line for a live session with a volunteer who will make themselves available, as a reader or sighted helper. Preview Image Please provide a screenshot of your idea as a preview image. Do not skew, alter or add any drop shadow or other effect.
Developer Challenge Overview AOL and TopCoder have teamed to bring this exciting accessibility initiative to the 2009 TopCoder Open! Guided by input from a diverse community of individuals and organizations working on the forefront of advancing internet accessibility, the Sensations Developer Challenge will utilize all tracks of the TCO09 competition to challenge competitors to build solutions for improved usability of mainstream internet-based products by people with disabilities. More than $100,000 in prize money is associated with this Challenge, including a $25,000 Sensations Bonus Prize to be presented along with the winning applications live in Las Vegas at the TopCoder Open in June! To learn more about the AOL/TopCoder Sensations Developer Challenge, please visit http://sensations.aol.com. Accessibility Resources We highly encourage you to learn more about accessibility, including its challenges and solutions. The Advisory Board of the Sensations Developer Challenge has (also) provided some example ideas and suggestions based on their expertise and experience in the field of internet accessibility. These suggestions, along with many more accessibility resources can be found in the SDC Topic Center - http://sensations.aol.com/topic-center Submission Requirements and Deliverables Each competitor may submit up to five (5) unique ideas. The "Idea Application" template for a submission is attached. You may submit supplemental material at your own discretion (e.g. diagrams, screen mocks, etc.), to help illustrate your idea. Your submission should clearly and completely describe the problem you are solving, and how your solution functions. Later competitions will fill in the details of conceptualization and implementation, but you must present your case for why your idea should be built. ** This is NOT a design contest. You will NOT be judged on the quality of your visual design, but the quality of your idea. ** Selection Criteria The SDC will run from now until May 2009. We will develop the ideas put forward in this contest for presentation at the 2009 TopCoder Open in Las Vegas. The factors we are looking for are as follows: 1. Level of impact - We want to make a big impact on internet users. How much benefit will users of your application gain over the status quo? The more impact, the better. 2. Innovation - We are looking for new and revolutionary ideas that expand the boundaries of the accessible Internet. 3. Depth of concept - We need to understand your solution. Ideas must be well thought-out and clearly explained. The details will come later, but we need a solid starting point. 4. Feasibility - The first version of your application will be built during the SDC. Ideas that require new hardware or software platforms may not be appropriate for the SDC. However, as long as a first phase can be developed in the scope of the SDC, it will be considered. Submission Review Board The SDC review board will consist of experts from the field of accessibility and software development. They will select up to three (3) winners, whose ideas will be used as the basis for the applications developed in the rest of the SDC. The top three (3) winners will each receive a cash prize of $2000 and a trip to the TCO in Las Vegas! The review board will select and announce the winners within seven (7) days of submission closing. Forums Members of the advisory board, along with staff from AOL and TopCoder will be manning the forums to provide guidance and answer any questions you may have through the duration of this contest. We highly encourage to ask any and all questions you may have. Idea Examples These examples are only meant for reference. Do not duplicate or modify these ideas for your submissions. We are looking for original, creative ideas. 1. Many people do not have the manual dexterity to manipulate a mouse and keyboard, or the ability to speak for recognition programs. Imagine a communications hub that was based on a tool like http://cameramouse.org/ - allowing users to quickly navigate buddy lists and conversations with only head movements. 2. For many, the interfaces to basic computing tasks too complicated, and can get lost in the menus and icons of Windows. Older users, or users with cognitive disabilities may have a difficult time managing contact lists, email folders, and could easily become confused with multiple applications to accomplish similar tasks. Imagine an environment where an email desktop mimics a real world desktop - throw an email away and it is gone forever. Send an email and it leaves your desk. 3. From time to time, a blind person might want to ask a sighted person a quick question. Which tie is this, the green one, or is it blue? It's late in the evening, and you are confronted with a web page your screen access program won't render. Imagine an application which will allow a blind person to go on-line for a live session with a volunteer who will make themselves available, as a reader or sighted helper. Preview Image Please provide a screenshot of your idea as a preview image. Do not skew, alter or add any drop shadow or other effect.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.