Sony launches Open Planet Ideas to crowdsource green technology ideas

Sony, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund and IDEO, launched a competition called “Open Planet Ideas,” an initiative to gather crowdsourced proposals to find green technology ideas. The best of these suggestions will become reality. The initial phase has just begun today, and will run until September 30. During this time Open Planet Ideas will accept proposals on how to “re-imagine how existing technologies could be re-used…to help solve environmental problems.” (BusinessGreen) Areas of focus include mobility and home technology.

Sony wishes to crowdsource ideas from students, designers, and technology fans alike. The idea is to target high-carbon activities and provide low-carbon solutions.

The first part of the project, running from September 1 through September 30, has Sony asking participants for environmental challenges. A panel of judges [from Sony, WWF and IDEO] will then sort through the suggestions and will pick one challenge, which will then be issued for entrants in mid-October. The participants will then have until the end of November to submit their entries.

The winner will be selected early in 2011 from a shortlist. The winning team or individual will then have the opportunity to work with Sony designers and engineers on the prototype.

The beauty of this contest is that Sony will harness the creative genius of many experts and lay people alike, which will bring in a wide range of ideas that wouldn’t necessarily be tapped from within Sony’s creative team. Not only will the winning solution come from crowdsourcing, but the actual challenge idea will be crowdsourced too. Sony has had good luck with crowdsourcing in the past, most recently with school children in California who suggested a way to link security cameras, wireless technology and solar panels in a forrest fire detection system.

Check out the Open Planet Ideas website for more information on how to get involved with the competition.