Invent a chip

Pupils can design their own microchip within the framework of a competition. The initiative is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Association for Electrical Technologies (VDE) and is supported by renowned sponsors from industry. Ideas for chips and questionnaires can be submitted up to 5 April 2009. The best designs will be presented to representatives from politics, enterprises and industry at the Microsystems Technology Congress in Berlin on 12 October 2009.

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For the INVENT a CHIP competition, participants from grades 9 to 13 will have to correctly answer 20 questions on micro and nano-electronics in a first phase. In the second phase, pupils can then submit an idea for an innovative chip or a new application.

As in previous years, the twelve best teams or individual participants will be invited to a three-day workshop at Leibniz University Hannover. Those who have submitted an idea for a chip and have been selected by the jury will start the practical phase of chip design with the support of experts in Hannover from 8 May 2009. The best designs will finally be presented to representatives from politics, enterprises and industry at the Microsystems Technology Congress in Berlin on 12 October 2009.

Ideas for chips and questionnaires can be submitted up to 5 April 2009. Many attractive prizes can be won. The schools with the best response rate to the questionnaires will, for example, receive money for a school party or technical equipment for workrooms. As a reward, schools may receive cash prizes to the amount of 250 to 1,000 euros. The winners of the chip development contest will receive cash prizes to the amount of 1,000 to 3,000 euros and an exciting programme in Berlin as well as a practical placement at Bosch lasting several days. They will also be nominated for the selection process of the German National Academic Foundation.

The competition 2008

Over 1,700 young people participated in INVENT a CHIP in 2008 - a new record! Thomas Kopsch, a pupil from Bochum, came first with his development of a microchip for reducing disturbing noise. His "silencer chip", which simply blanks out sound waves by means of interference, can provide residents near airports, motorways or railway lines with a good's night rest and sound sleep and in addition has numerous functions for noise tracing and recording.

The second place went to Jonas Burgdorf, a pupil from Braunschweig, who perfected his hobby of model rocket flight and whose microchip now enables an analysis of different parameters, such as flying altitude, rotation or speed. Furthermore, weather data can be retrieved and the chip can be used for position finding.

The third place went to two teams: Marcel Kaufmann and Daniel Schoepe, pupils from Schwalmstadt, developed a "driving assistance chip" which controls road behaviour and contributes to safe driving. The "solar optimization chip" developed by Andreas Kell and David Sohr from Bonn is designed for use in mobile solar installations in particular (e.g. on camper vans) and optimizes the exploitation of solar energy by adjusting solar cells appropriately.

The special prize of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the project with the greatest industrial relevance went to the team of Hardware-AG in Staufen. Jannis Harder and Gerd Lindner presented an innovative "breath-guard-X2" microchip which provides active breathing control for people suffering from sleep apnoea and can also be used to fight cot deaths.

Contact

VDE Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e.V.
Anja Rottke
E-mail: chips@vde.com
Tel.: +49 228 - 5 347 347