Researchers at the University of North Texas have announced an online gaming competition that will allow the public to compete for prizes while also helping advance the development of next generation electronics.

As the demand for smaller and more energy efficient electrical devices continues to grow, electrical engineers are faced with the challenge of figuring out how to best fit all the electrical components into the devices.

Dr. Gayatri Mehta, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of North Texas, and her team of student researchers are taking an innovative approach to this challenge, turning the problem of efficiently mapping electrical components into a web-based computer game called UNTANGLED.

Participants will be able to compete for prizes by playing UNTANGLED between Aug. 10 (Friday) and Aug. 20 (Monday). Twenty gift cards will be awarded to the overall best players in the competition. Gift cards also will be given to the players with the highest score in each sub-game. Gift cards will range from $10 to $100, with the overall high scorer receiving $100. Registration is free and only requires an active email address.