Sony "crowd-sourcing" technology initiative gathers pace

Backed by Sony and WWF, the aim of the so called Open Planet Ideas project  is to use online crowd-sourcing - an R&D approach that brings  multiple sources of expertise together  - to repurpose Sony technology to develop solutions to key environmental challenges.

The project’s website is an open collaborative platform that invites people with a wide range of skills, ideas and perspectives on technology to bring them to bear on sustainability and the environment.

The project has already generated a high level of interest and as the concepting stage runs until 12th December there’s still time to get involved.

After this, submissions will be voted on by the Open Planet Ideas community and examined by an expert panel. The most promising concepts will be subjected to a detailed evaluation and the final idea  will be announced in January 2011. Sony’s R&D team will then work with those that have contributed to the final idea to progress it to the proof-of-concept stage in order to demonstrate its feasibility.