Good to know that my Dutch friend Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald and Raimo van der klein are still very active these day in the Dutch Augmented Reality for Smart Phones Layer. They have just announced their new challenge:

Recently, we revealed our new Layar Vision extension and announced the Creation Challenge. Now, the Layar Vision beta is available and the Challenge is open for submissions!

“Augmented Reality is at the stage where it can add real value to existing businesses,” said Maarten Lens-FitzGerald, Layar co-founder and General Manager.

“This is what we are focusing on with our challenge; we’re not looking for just a cool layer using Layar Vision, but for creative, smart business ideas that will provide lasting value for both user and publisher.”

We’re giving away a total of $55,000 in cash to 10 developers who create the most useful, creative or otherwise impressive experiences with Layar Vision; we want to see content that really makes us say “Wow!”

You can now download the Android APK beta and begin building with Layar Vision! Public versions for both Android and iPhone will be available in the coming months.

Please submit your Creation Challenge layer anytime between now and September 15th. After the submission deadline, we will determine the finalist short-list and announce it a week later.

Our internationally-acclaimed jury of AR enthusiasts, including: Layar co-founder and CEO Raimo van der Klein, Wired UK editor-at-large Ben Hammersley, sci-fi author and AR wizard Bruce Sterling, former AdMob evangelist Russell Buckley and author/futurist Gerd Leonhard, will judge and rank the finalists to determine the top 10 ranking.

Important Challenge dates:
•August 15: Submissions open
•September 15th – Submission deadline
•September 22nd – Finalists announced
•October 3rd – Winners announced

Please visit our Layar Creation Challenge page for complete rules and details, peruse our documentation, and direct any questions or comments about the Challenge to Challenge[at]Layar[dot]com.

http://www.layar.com/blog/2011/08/12/layar-creation-challenge-now-open-submissions-start-building-layar-vision/

Challenge is Open for Submissions!

(via Marcus Endicott).