A total of 159 teams is battling it out for top spots in Taiwan’s prestigious Mobile Heroes wearable device competition, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Aug. 11.
Jointly organized by the MOEA Industrial Development Bureau, Industrial Technology Research Institute and MediaTek Inc., the teams will be culled to 20 finalists later this month with the winners announced in December.
In addition to cash prizes, winning submissions are to be displayed at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. First place-getter will also enjoy business incubation services provided by Taiwan high-tech heavyweight MediaTek.
This year’s competition is special in that it is the first time MediaTek has made publicly available its LinkIt platform for contestants to develop hardware, software and related services for wearable devices. It is also the first locally produced version of such a platform to feature in the event, according to the IDB.
LinkIt integrates MediaTek’s Aster System on Chip, the smallest wearable SoC currently in the market supporting Android and iOS systems, enabling developers to create a range of affordable, wearable and Internet of Thing-based products and solutions.
“The teams will have three months to work on their designs using the platform,” an IDB official said. “We expect them to make excellent use of this opportunity and create products that can contribute to boosting Taiwan’s standing in the global smart mobile device sector.” (SFC-JSM)
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