Global co-creation community FirstBuild brought together innovators, designers, engineers, programmers, and students in Louisville, Kentucky for the 4th annual 2018 “Hack the Home” Hackathon. Competing for more than $10,000 in prizes and cash, the competitors worked for over 35 hours on the next big product for a house.
“Our hackathon offers a glimpse at the future of home products, and we’re constantly amazed at the creativity on display,” said FirstBuild executive director Larry Portaro. “These competitions challenge our makers to think bigger and bolder and, once again, the teams delivered some truly fantastic products.”
By harnessing the power behind the maker movement, and with the backing of GE Appliances, a Haier company, FirstBuild changes the way home appliances are designed, conceived, and built. With this goal in mind, FirstBuild staff and sponsors judged more than 30 competing projects, picking out the top three in addition to other award winners with innovative ideas.
The top three teams are:
- 1st Place, $3,000: My Fridge Safe, by Josh Weil, Eric Ott, and Alex Vance, a locking drawer inside a refrigerator for alcohol, medications, and foods safe from children.
- 2nd Place, $2,000: Washing Machine Load Sensors, by Team Borderless, used integrated sensor technology inside a washing machine to warn owners if a load has too much weight, saving money and energy from an overfilled machine.
- 3rd Place, $1,000: Multi-Dry, by a group of GE Appliances Edison engineers, engineered a dishwasher handle that lets warm air through, for the quick drying of towels.
