Official Competition Rules
Before you enter
Proto-Dash is a remote university prototyping competition organized by the MTU Open Source Hardware Enterprise. There is no entry fee or required purchase. Teams provide their own materials and workspace. Each event page and agreement states its eligibility, schedule, objective, deliverables, rubric, and prizes. Read these together before accepting the event agreement; that agreement controls event-specific requirements.
Teams and eligibility
Use a university-issued account and verify your email. Register your university and every team member accurately. We recommend 6–8 students; smaller or larger teams may participate unless an event sets a different requirement. Each member must meet the event’s enrollment, age, location, and institutional requirements. Obtain your institution’s permission to use its workspace and equipment. Disclose relationships with organizers or judges that could create a conflict of interest.
Entry and build period
To enter, an authorized team representative must review the full agreement, type their name, and check the acceptance box. The site records acceptance and starts the team’s build timer. The submission deadline is the earlier of that timer’s end and the event’s global deadline. Check the deadline displayed in your dashboard. Creating an account or joining a mailing list alone does not enter a team.
Original work, tools, and safety
Complete competition work within the allowed build period. Identify pre-existing designs, purchased components, outside assistance, and third-party code or content. AI tools may be used where the event permits them; describe their use and verify their outputs. Teams remain responsible for accuracy, originality, licensing, and safety. Follow all university laboratory, equipment, electrical, chemical, and protective-equipment requirements. Stop unsafe work and consult qualified supervisors.
Submitting your entry
Upload every item on the event checklist before your deadline and confirm that the dashboard shows a complete submission. Test external links and ensure judges can access them without requesting credentials. Keep backups. Incomplete, late, inaccessible, corrupted, deceptive, unsafe, or rights-infringing entries may be excluded. If the site fails, report the issue immediately with the time and event; a report does not automatically extend the deadline.
Judging and results
Assigned judges evaluate eligible entries using the event’s published rubric. Judges must disclose conflicts so organizers can reassign a review. The homepage rubric is illustrative; your event’s rubric controls. Organizers review scores before publishing results. Tie-breaking and any appeal procedure must appear in the event agreement. Report suspected eligibility or tabulation errors to the organizers promptly; disagreements with a judge’s assessment alone do not guarantee a re-score.
Prizes
Only prizes stated for the specific event are offered. Awards depend on eligibility verification and any conditions in the event agreement. Organizers contact selected winners using their registered email. Required acceptance deadlines, distribution arrangements, tax responsibilities, and alternate-winner procedures are communicated under that agreement. Do not assume that general homepage prize guidance applies to every event.
Ownership and public projects
Teams retain their intellectual property. Entries are shared privately for administration and judging. Public project links, images, contributor names, and promotional materials are published only with the applicable permissions. Teams must have permission from all contributors and rights holders. See the Privacy Policy for data use and retention.
Fair administration and support
Organizers may investigate cheating, correct errors, disqualify ineligible entries, or adjust or cancel an event when safety issues, technical failures, or circumstances outside their control prevent fair administration. Material changes will be communicated to affected teams. Contact us for competition support or an accessibility accommodation as early as possible.