Circuit Showdown^™

Design contest presented by Mouser Electronics and eeDesignit

Three contestants. Three judges. Two rounds of competition. One champion. Electrical and mechanical university engineering students compete head-to-head in the ultimate design standoff. Contestants are challenged in creating a themed design project build within a 4-hour time limit. Watch all four episodes here.

Circuit Showdown Finale

Circuit Showdown Episode 3

Circuit Showdown Episode 2

Circuit Showdown Episode 1

Circuit Showdown trailer

Competitors

Charles Morales

Texas State University

Charles Morales, a master's student in Engineering at Texas State University, has worked on various hardware and software projects, including analog music synthesizers and a 32-bit assembler. His research on ultra-wideband flexible sinuous antennas has applications in object detection, localization, and signal detection. Inspired by his love for physics, Charles aims to pursue a career in RF engineering, focusing on RF and circuit design.

Michael Vidales

Prairie View A&M University

Michael Vidales, a Mechanical Engineering student at Prairie View A&M University, will graduate in May 2025. Inspired by his family's engineering background, he has honed his technical skills through his family's firm and diverse experiences, including consulting and working with NASA on robotic systems. Michael aims to acquire new skills and inspire others, contributing to a better future for all.

Renee Wrysinski

Rice University

Renee Wrysinski, a junior at Rice University majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is passionate about creating solutions for people with disabilities. She has worked on projects like a wireless egg data logger for bird conservation and a water leak sensing device. Renee aspires to work in embedded systems after graduation, aiming to make a difference through technology.

Prizes

Thousands of dollars in prizes are up for grabs. All contestants receive a Keysight handheld digital multimeter ($500-$700 value), Mouser and sponsoring manufacturer's swag, and the prizes below.

GRAND PRIZE

Circuit Showdown Trophy
$10,000
mouser.com credit ($1,000)
Keysight test equipment (valued at $6,000)

RUNNER
UP

$5,000
mouser.com credit ($500)
Keysight oscilloscope (valued at $1,500)

3^rd PLACE

mouser.com credit ($250)
Keysight Digital Multimeter (valued at $600)

Project themes

Four possible themes were introduced, including Smart Home, Music & Audio, Healthcare, and Industrial Automation. Watch the episodes to see which themes were selected and the creative designs that emerged.

Smart Home

Music & Audio

Healthcare

Industrial Automation

Judges

Chris Moore

CEO, FIRST

Chris Moore, CEO of FIRST^®, is a seasoned leader committed to youth development. Joining FIRST in 2021, he brought extensive executive leadership and advocacy experience. Previously, he served as CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance and United States Youth Soccer Association. Chris has driven growth in both corporate and nonprofit sectors, and as FIRST CEO, he promotes STEM inclusion and empowers students to pursue their passions in STEM fields.

Massimo Banzi

Co-founder, Arduino

Massimo Banzi is an interaction designer, educator, and open-source hardware pioneer. With a background in electrical engineering, he worked as a software architect before teaching at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. He started Italy's first FabLab and authored “Getting Started with Arduino.” Massimo currently teaches at USI University and SUPSI in Switzerland and is a visiting professor at CIID in Copenhagen.

Kirk Ulery

Business Development Manager, Transportation Solutions, Molex

Kirk Ulery, Distribution Business Development Manager for automotive and transportation at Molex, specializes in Rugged and Reliable products from the Transportation Business Unit. He supports distribution partners in implementing interconnect solutions for electrification challenges across various markets. With 34 years of experience, Kirk has advanced interconnect technologies with multiple manufacturers.