OK, we know you guys are psyched that the new season of Battlestar Galactica is starting up soon (April 4, in fact). So are we. In fact, today DVICE, SCIFI.COM and MAKE magazine are kicking off a big contest to celebrate the return of the show. The plan: design a Cylon and win.

You know the Cylons — that fanatical race of genocidal robots? There are a bunch of different kinds, from toaster-like automatons to human-looking androids to fighter planes, and the idea is for contestants to mod something (or create something from scratch) to make it look like a Cylon. You can put photos of your entry on Flickr or video on YouTube with a special tag or just send them in to a specific e-mail address we've set up (details after the Continue link below). Judging the entries will be none other than BSG cast members Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. The best ones will be featured on the SCI FI Channel!

Read the full details by clicking Continue. (And feel free to shout out "By your command.")

"MAKE A CYLON" CONTEST
The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the Cylons became sentient and they rebelled. Man and machine fought to a bloody stalemate, then the Cylons withdrew to a remote region of space. A truce between the Twelve Colonies and the Cylons lasted for 40 tense and silent years. Then, on the 40th anniversary, a stunning blonde — a Cylon in human form — met the human envoy… moments before the Cylons vaporized the station and launched a genocidal attack on the Twelve Colonies.

Now DVICE, SCIFI.COM and MAKE are giving you the opportunity to create (or recreate) the Cylons for fun, a chance to win prizes, and the possibility of seeing your creation on the SCI FI Channel.

HOW TO ENTER
"Make" a Cylon: Use whatever you like: blinking lights for eyes, metal armor as a costume, toasters… anything to show the world that you're a Cylon maker. The only caveat is that it has to be something physical (no Photoshop/art entries). Your Cylon can be of the humanoid or robotic variety, real or abstract, or anything else you can think of. We'll also accept entries for creations in the general Battlestar universe (ships, devices, etc.), although our preference is for Cylons.

To enter, make your Cylon or "Battlestar-related project" and put photos/videos online. If you use Flickr and YouTube, tag your project with "dvicemakecylon" and add it to the MAKE magazine Flickr photo pool.

Or just e-mail a link to the project(s) or photos to: dvicemakecylon@gmail.com

PRIZES
The best entry or entries will be featured on the SCI FI Channel. Other prizes include:

• • Battlestar Galactica DVD box sets for seasons 1, 2 and 3
  
• • Battlestar T-shirts, posters and other exclusive swag
  
• • 10 MAKE year one box sets signed by the MAKE team!

Prizes are limited by supply.

JUDGING
Cylons Tricia Helfer (Number Six) and Grace Park (Boomer) will judge the entries.

RESOURCES
You can design your Cylon any way you want, but here's an "open source" kit that makers have used to make things more "Cylon-y":

MiniPOV kit (with Cylon firmware, we can have one the code on the chip in advance)

MiniPOV Cylon firmware

Each week on DVICE, SCIFI.COM & MAKE we'll have examples, projects and ideas for building your own Cylon, you can enter as many times as you wish.

WHO CAN ENTER
Open only to entrants who are permanent, legal residents of and physically residing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands and all other US territories), who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry. To be considered, all entries must include the Entrant's full name, date of birth and a valid e-mail address.

END DATE
The contest will end at 12:01 a.m. the day after the premiere of the mid-season finale of Battlestar Galactica, which will air on SCI FI at 10 p.m. on June 13, 2008. So the contest ends at 12:01 a.m. on June 14.

UPDATE
Hey folks, thanks for the entries so far. Hope you're having a great time designing your Cylons. A few good questions have come up about the contest, so we've updated information about the contest's end date and who is eligible to enter. Also, to clarify: 1) Yes, your Cylon can be modeled after a centurion (new or old), a "human" Cylon, a raider or even a basestar. So say we all.