Winners: 2019 3D Pioneers Challenge

Boundaries have been pushed — and now prizes awarded — in the 2019 3D Pioneers Challenge.

This year’s brief in the prestigious contest was relatively straightforward, challenging innovative thinkers to push boundaries. 

Ultimately, judging came down to 36 finalists presenting truly impressive designs. While I was unable to attend due to travel logistics, the exhibition, final in-person judging, and celebratory gala were held at the end of June at Rapid.Tech + FabCon 3.D in Erfurt, Germany.

Submissions hailed from about two dozen countries — and prizes worth more than €40,000 in total were awarded, including prize money of €35,000 provided by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society, which was awarded by State Secretary Valentina Kerst.

On top of the cash prizes, awards included:

• MakerBot Replicator Mini+, awarded by MakerBot EMEA for the best student project

• The 3D Printing Handbook, awarded by 3D Hubs

• Netfabb and Fusion 360 licenses, awarded by Autodesk

A Special Mention by Autodesk was also awarded, with three winners selected to join their Autodesk Technology Centers Residency program in North America at the San Francisco, Boston, or Toronto location. The Residency Program “provides open workspaces for teams from industry, academic, and startup communities doing forward-looking work in the areas of construction, manufacturing, and emerging technologies.” Winners of this Special Mention include:

• Jetsuit Gravity — Gravity Industries

• Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE 1.0) — The University of Tennessee

• Swarm 3D Printing and Assembly Robots — AMBOTS/University of Arkansas

Overall winners were considered in the eight verticals comprising the 2019 competition:

• Design

• MedTech

• FashionTech

• Material

• Architecture

• Digital

• Mobility

• Sustainability

I cannot emphasize enough how impressive the submissions were this year, including each vertical. While I’m sure my judging process was rather different from most other jurors’, as it was remote, I confess I spent quite a long time poring over all the finalists’ presentations. Decisions did have to be made, though, and in the end the 18-member jury did select the winners.

For 2019, the winners of the 3D Pioneers Challenge include:

MedTech, awarded €10,000: 3D printed heart

Tel Aviv University

Dvir Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Dept. of Molecular Micro. & Biotechnology George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology _ Noor Nadav, Dr. Assaf Shapira, Dr. Reuven Edri, Idan Gal, Lior Wertheim, Dr. Tal Dvir

Best Student Project, awarded €4,000 and a MakerBot Replicator Mini+: Alfa Romeo Twin Spark CON ROD

Landmark University

Obasogie Okpamen, Obasogie Osasumwen

Material, awarded €3,500: 3D-Painted Hyperelastic Bone

Dimension Inx LLC

Adam Jakus

Sustainability, awarded €3,500: Design of Coral Reef Seed Units

Emerging Objects

Ronald Rael, Virginia San Fratello, Sandy Curth, Logman Arja, SECORE International

Mobility, FashionTech, awarded €3,500; Special Mention by Autodesk: Jetsuit Gravity

Gravity Industries

Richard Browning, Sam Rogers and Alex Wilson; EOS

Digital, awarded €3,500: Rocket combustion chamber demonstrator, built through generative algorithms.

Hyperganic Technologies AG

Michael Gallo, Lin Kayser, Duy-Anh Pham, Stefan Bindl, Markus Finke

Design, awarded €3,500: Stealth Padlock and Key

UrbanAlps AG

Dr. Alejandro Ojeda, Jiri Holda, Dr. Alexander Schnell, Otakar Flek, Jana Bradlova

Sustainability, awarded €3,500: Upprinting Food

Upprinting Food

Elzelinde van Doleweerd, Vita Broeken

A very hearty congratulations to all the winners, finalists, and every team to have submitted a design.

Each year, the 3D Pioneers Challenge offers a unique challenge, and it’s a true pleasure to see designers around the world rise to that challenge. Real-world solutions are being presented, created using new and advanced technologies; such challenges as this are in place to encourage ongoing development, recognizing some of the best of the best to emerge as we put 3D technologies to use to pioneer new and viable solutions to better our world.

Via 3D Pioneers Challenge