Epilog Laser announced that it has partnered with Instructables.com for the Epilog Challenge. Participants submitting the most innovative project incorporating a "green" twist will win a Zing Laser, an entry-level, high-quality laser engraving and cutting system. The contest begins Feb. 18 and ends April 19.
Instructables is a popular Do It Yourself community on the Internet. Started in August 2005, Instructables provides accessible tools and publishing instructions to enable passionate, creative people to share their most innovative projects, recipes, ideas, and hacks. The site is currently home to over 20,000 projects covering such diverse areas as crafts, art, kids, electronics, pets, bikes, cars, robotics, green projects, and cooking.
"We're thrilled to partner with Instructables for this contest," said Mike Dean, director of sales and marketing for Epilog Laser. "Instructables values innovation and creativity just as Epilog does, and they provide an excellent forum and resource center for the tech-savvy creators out there who can really appreciate the high-quality production and versatility of Epilog's systems. We can't wait for the entries to start pouring in."
Instructables.com has declared 2009 a green year, and in an effort to be a better friend of the environment, the Epilog Challenge asks participants to incorporate a green element. Each participant must include and clearly describe some green component in the design of his or her project, no matter how small. Contest entries must in some way detail how the design is energy-efficient, reuses materials, or is helpful to the environment; however, the green element need not be the primary theme for participants' projects.
"We really want to encourage green thinking at all stages of a project, no matter how small," said Eric Wilhelm, founder and CEO of Instructables. "Whether you're picking LEDs over incandescent lights, making maximally efficient use of scarce resources, or recycling materials, it's these little steps that add up to permanent change."
The contest begins Feb. 18 and entries will be accepted through April 19. Fifteen finalists will be selected: 10 by user votes, and five by Instructables staff. A panel of expert judges from a variety of disciplines will select the winners. The grand prize winner will receive a Zing Laser from Epilog and runners-up will win gift certificates for Ponoko.com.
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