MCOR's Talents

Here's a new challenge specific to a particular 3D Printer: the Freedom of Creations (FOC) Talents design brief Quarter 4 2010 requests "end product application and design for Paper Rapid Prototyping (PRP)". In other words, "what's a commercially interesting object to print on the MCOR Matrix 300 paper 3D printer?"

 

FOC has been running these competitions quarterly for some time, with prior contests involving a new wedding ring concept, design a CASE for the Blackberry Bold 9700 and the FOC lighting collection. This time it's a paper challenge. From FOC:

 

FOC Talents is a global online network of talented, young and pre-selected designers that send in computer aided designs (CAD) every quarter, based on a prior given design brief. This quarter the Talents are challenged with an end product application and design for Paper Rapid Prototyping (PRP). With significantly lower running costs, the Matrix really does give the freedom to create!

  

FOC has dabbled with the MCOR in the past, producing an iPhone cover.  Evidently this experiment was successful, leading to this quarter's challenge. Paper printing offers some different opportunities for designers, not only due to the low cost of print material (yes, just paper) but also the variety of color layers one can employ.

 

The winning entry will be awarded €250, while runners up "will be added to the FOC Online store. Royalties are 5%." Not bad! 

 

Via FOC (Hat tip to Deirdre)

The Gada Prize

We've seen tremendous achievements in recent years through the excitement generated by a series of startling X-prize challenges. Now there's one addressing 3D printing, specifically the RepRap project. The Gada prize, to be awarded to a winning team on January 1st, 2013, intends on dramatically improving the capability of open source 3D printing. Some USD$20,000 is already allocated for the grand prize. 

 

So what's the challenge exactly? Like X-prizes, it's really going to stretch the minds of the challengers, as there are a number of incredible capabilities to produce. The key capabilities are:

 

• Ability to print at least three different materials, including one that is usefully electrically conductive.
• Ability to print electronic circuit boards.
• Print beds must be of a material which may be reused with minimal refurbishment for at least 20 print cycles.
• Maintain a total materials and parts cost under $200 and that 90% of the volume of the printer parts be printed.
• Demonstrate a build volume of the printer above 300x300x100mm in order to ensure that items of daily utility can be printed.
• The capacity to print a full set of parts for a complete replica of itself within 10 days unattended save for clearing no more than one printer head jam.
• Ability to print autonomously without a PC attached.
• Uses no more than 60 watts of electrical power. 

 

Asked to comment about this challenge, Asst. Director of R&D, Humanity+, Bryan Bishop said: 

 

There are almost 20 teams involved and registered already. I have heard good things about all of them. What I want to happen is personal manufacturing to really take off here-- so if Humanity+ sees a lot of activity and progress around this, more prizes are in the near future. The Gada Prize is a good place to start because it's feasible, some of the criteria points have been done before in commercial 3D printers, now it's time to have it happen in open source hardware. It's going to be a wild ride!

 

What does this mean? Well, for one thing RepRaps will be a lot more interesting in two years. For another, that tech will no doubt be adopted by derivatives public and commercial, making the 3D printer market a whole lot bigger and brighter. 

 

Via Humanity+ 

FabLab Ignites Fab@School

The Fab@Home guys at Cornell have won a major contest in the education sector, as they were recently named one of eight winners in the third annual Digital Media and Learning competition. The competition attempts to dramatically change how education works in the 21st century: 

 

President Obama has called for a renewed focus on science, technology, engineering and math education in the United States. The headlines of 2009 highlight the need for urgency: Whether it is epidemic disease, clean energy, climate change, new economic models, or innovative responses to local and global problems, the next generation will experience a rapidly changing world of daunting challenges. The complexity of such challenges will require sophisticated critical thinking and an ability to understand and affect the multiple systems that shape the economy, society and even life itself. Today’s young people will be called upon to demonstrate the dispositions and habits of mind that have always been at the heart of innovation and achievement – creativity, persistence, imagination, curiosity, storytelling, tinkering, improvisation, passion, risk-taking, and collaboration. These are the very dispositions and habits of mind that are nurtured by the exploration and understanding of science, technology, engineering and math.

 

FabLab participated in Glenn Bull's entry from the University of Virginia. Prof. Bull (pictured above) brought together several schools of education and technology to propose the following: 

 

Fab@School introduces K-12 students to the excitement and power of mathematical analysis and modeling, digital fabrication, and engineering by encouraging imaginative and collaborative experimentation, invention, design, and creation. Adapting a low-cost open-source emergent digital fabrication system for school use, Fab@School provides students the satisfying experience of taking their concepts-from geometric structures to simple machines to usable products-from mind's eye to physical form. A complementary curriculum aligned with school standards fosters the further development of STEM skills by posing challenges and presenting models that spur inquiry and inspire students' original designs.

 

You must watch the video to appreciate the importance of their entry. We believe this effort, if successful, could jumpstart manufacturing education across the globe by bringing the ideas to the younger ages. Kids are fascinated by this stuff if presented properly, and if they're interested, it should carry through as they get older. 

 

Plant seeds, and watch them grow. Well, done, FabGuys!

 

Via DML Competition and Digital Fabrication

Enter The Shapeways Student Contest

Shapeways 3D print service announced a brand new contest, this one for students only. Named the "2010 Shapeways Full Color 3D Print Student Contest", it would appear this is an annual affair. It's called a "Color" contest because the idea is to print your model with Shapeways new color material, "Full Color Sandstone". One major limitation: Shapeways is only accepting designs whose print cost (at their service) is between USD$25-50. 

 

No, you cannot enter this contest unless you are actually a full time student, so don't get any ideas, graduates! Just create your unique and intricate design, zip it up as a VRML97 or X3D file and upload to Shapeways. If you win the contest (as decided by the Shapeways Mandarins), you'll be awarded USD$100 worth of Shapeways printing services. The top five will all receive a free printout of their design. As for the winner, we suspect they might print a few more copies with their USD$100 credit. 

 

The contest is accepting entries now, and closes on 31 May, with the winner being chosen by 7 June. Good luck!

 

Via Shapeways 

Win $20,000 in a Design Contest

We know you like to design things, so why not try to win a large prize with your best ideas? Consider entering the "Create the Future" Design contest. 

 

Your entry can compete in any of several design categories:

 

• Consumer Products - Products that increase quality of life in the workplace, at home, during leisure time, or while traveling.
• Machinery and Equipment - Products that speed and improve work, manufacturing, or scientific research processes.
• Medical Products - Products that improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare.
• Safety and Security - Products that enhance the security or safety of individuals, businesses, communities, or nations.
• Sustainable Technologies - Products that help reduce dependence on non-renewable energy resources, as well as products designed for other purposes using environmentally friendly materials or manufacturing processes.
• Transportation - Products that enable movement of people and goods from one place to another. 

 

Judging is based on innovation, manufacturability, marketability and cost-effectiveness. You'll have to include one to three images of your design, as well as a 500 word technical abstract that describes your entry. You can examine current entries on the website today to get some ideas. 

 

Aside from the grand prize of USD$20,000, you'll also be eligible to win an HP workstation for the best entry in each category, as well as ten 3D Connexion SpaceNavigators for the most popular entries. The top 100 entries will receive a framed certificate and two percent of entrants will win a T-shirt by random selection. 

 

The contest closes entries on June 30, 2010, so you'd better get started. Winners will be announced in September. 

 

Via Tech Briefs

Finalists Announced in 3D Printing Contest

The annual Dimension 3D Extreme Redesign Contest has announced nine finalists in three categories.

 

High School Category Finalists:

• Robby Ridzy, Medina County Career Center, Brunswick, Ohio: Gutter Guide
• Maxwell Krist, Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, Wash.: Electricity Usage Meter
• Korrina Reed, Milford H.S., Milford, Ohio: Fragrance Bracelet

  

University Category Finalists:

• Donald Nicholson, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio: EZwriter
• Ross Warrel, London South Bank University, London, England: Squirrel
• Dale Herzog, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester, Mass.: Robo-Prosthetic Development Platform

  

Art and Architecture Category Finalists:

• Chris Green, Utah State Univ., Logan, Utah: Helical Staircase
• Trevor Clarke, Fullerton College, Fullerton College, Fullerton, Cal.: Roy
• Amir Naeem, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, Conn.: Horus Research Center

 

As always this contest produces some amazing and creative results and the judges will have a difficult time choosing winners. Who will win? We're not sure, but we kinda liked the Squirrel, a unique one-handed screwdriver design in the College category, the Electricity Usage Meter in the High School category and the Helical Staircase in the Art and Architecture category. Good luck to all contestants!

 

The contest has been in running each year since 2004, and demonstrates Dimension Printing's commitment to supporting education in manufacturing and design. 

 

Via Dimension Printing 

SpaceNavigators Are Free!

We're a big fan of SpaceNavigators, those pleasant-feeling 3D controllers that are most often found in your not-the-regular-mouse hand. The SpaceNav is compatible with a long list of 3D software, ranging from most modelling tools to 3D games.

 

There's several types of SpaceNavs available from maker 3DConnexion, including more advanced models with many buttons, and smaller ones for tucking into your laptop bag. They range in price from USD$99 for the basic (but eminently useful) version to USD$399 for the amazing SpaceNavigator Pro. 

 

But now you can get one For Free! That's right - 3DConnexion is giving them away, five per month until June 30th, 2010. Therefore, there are 15 left. 

 

How does it work? Just head to the link below and enter the contest, which is apparently determined by "draw". 

 

Via 3DConnexion

BlenderArtists Competition

i.Materialise has launched a design challenge on Blender designers at the BlenderArtists site: "BlenderArtists.org is the most popular community site dedicated to the free, open-source 3D animation program Blender. On the site, users of the program can discuss their artwork, ask questions and find resources such as textures and tutorials."

The competition closes on February 18th, so get your design in quickly! The task is to design the most interesting set of bookends (similar to the image above), and the prize will be a 3D print of your design. Three winners will be selected. The Rules from BlenderArtists.org:

• The model needs to fit in a bounding box of 8cm by 8cm, with a height of 12cm (use Blender units as reference)
• Mind too small details, as 3Dprinters are not able to print those. As a rule of thumb, any detail bigger than 1mm can be 3Dprinted.
• The model needs to consist out of one piece (we will add a ground plate to connect it with the bookend)
• Don’t worry about file preparation for 3Dprinting, we will do that for you.

You'll need to submit three screenshots of your design after you register with BlenderArtists.org.

Via BlenderArtists