Interactive Signage Contest Update: 106 Projects from 29 Countries — Deadline Extended to August 31!
Since launching on March 5, the Interactive Signage Contest has been running for more than five months. Over the past 150 days, we’ve been amazed by the creativity and innovation from the global maker community.
So far, we have received 100+project submissions from 29 countries and regions, including Germany, the United States, Canada, India, South Korea, France, Spain, Indonesia, Poland, Italy, Malaysia, and many more.
To give more creators enough time to turn their ideas into reality, we are excited to announce that:
🎉 The submission deadline has been extended to August 31, 2026! Whether you are a maker, student, designer, engineer, startup team, or simply someone interested in building smarter interactive experiences, we encourage you to join and share your ideas with the community.
Amazing Projects from the Global Maker Community
This contest has shown us that interactive signage is no longer just about displaying information. Creators are exploring how signs can become interactive, intelligent, and adaptive systems that better connect people with physical spaces.
From smart restaurants and retail stores to public spaces and creative installations, participants are bringing real-world ideas to life with hardware, software, and AI technologies.
Solving Real-World Problems with Interactive Design
Many projects focus on improving customer experiences in commercial environments.
For example, one team created a robotic arm-powered smart hot pot restaurant sign. The robotic arm can adjust the display angle based on the user’s position, creating a more comfortable ordering experience whether customers are standing or sitting.
Another practical solution is an intelligent waiting management sign, which provides real-time queue updates and helps customers better understand their estimated waiting time — solving a common pain point in restaurants and stores. These projects demonstrate how interactive signage can directly improve everyday experiences through thoughtful design and technology.
Creative Ideas from Around the World
The global submissions have brought many exciting concepts.
A creator from Poland developed a smart traffic sign system that dynamically adjusts displayed information based on visitor flow, making communication more flexible and responsive.
A team from India created a visual checkout signage system that recognizes food items and automatically calculates prices, enabling a faster and more seamless payment experience.
Other participants explored the combination of dynamic menus and intelligent recommendations, creating systems that can suggest suitable meal options based on group size and dining scenarios.
These projects show the diversity of ideas emerging from different cultures and communities around the world.
How to PARTICIPATE
1) Build Your Project: Use any Seeed Studio product as the project tool
2) Submit a video that is 1 minute or longer demonstrating your smart sign in action. Both horizontal and vertical formats are welcome!
3) Once approved, your project video will be published on Seeed Studio’s official YouTube channel, which will serve as the promotional platform for public voting.
Judging Criteria:
Judging Criteria:
- Participant Voting (2/3 weight): Each semi-finalist receives 5 votes to support other projects.
- Public Voting (1/3 weight): Based on a combined score of YouTube views and likes on your Project video. (The top 50 projects from this stage will advance to the Final Round!)
2. Final Round – Jury Panel:
- Business Potential (30%): Can this realistically be commercialized and deployed in real restaurants at scale?
- Replicability (30%): Can others rebuild and adapt your solution using your documentation and code?
- Innovation (20%): How creatively do you rethink what a restaurant sign can do?
- Fit with Restaurant Scenarios (20%): Does it solve real, practical needs in a dining environment?
Timeline:
Timeline:
● Idea Collection & Sample Application: March 5 – June 30, 2026
● Project Development & Documentation: April – August 2026
● Semi-Final: Community & Public Voting: Sep1 – Sep 15, 2026
● Final Jury Evaluation: September 16 – September 30, 2026
● Winner Announcement: August 1-15, 2026
Winning projects will be showcased during the Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026!
Prizes and awards:
Prizes and awards:
$1,000 Cash Prize
$1,000 Travel Grant – We’re sponsoring the winner’s trip to Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026 (November)!
● 🥈Second Prize (2 Winners | Value: $600)
$300 Cash Prize
Seeed Product Gift Pack (worth $300)
● 🥉Third Prize (3 Winners | Value: $200)
$100 Cash Prize
Seeed Product Gift Pack (worth $100)
Special Category Awards:
● 🎖Best In-Restaurant Experience Award (1 Winner | Value: $200)
Seeed Product Gift Pack (worth $200)
● 🎖Most Popular Award (1 Winner | Value: $100) (Awarded to the video with the most YouTube likes!)
Seeed Product Gift Pack (worth $100)
● 🌱Sustainable Signage Impact Award – SDG (1 Winner | Value: $100)
Seeed Product Gift Pack (worth $100)
*All the winners could receive the free co-create service to make the prototype become products!
“Make a Sign (for Restaurant)” is more than a contest.
It is an open call to rethink how small hardware solutions can reshape physical spaces.
By focusing on the sign as a minimum solution unit, we lower the barrier for global makers to participate in restaurant innovation.
From small cafés to busy food courts, your sign could become the first step toward smarter dining environments.
About Author
