First, students should generate a 3D CAD image of their new design and convert it to an STI file. (Instructions to convert from a CAD file to an STI file are found here.) In addition to the STI file, students should submit a 200-word essay or 30-second video that describes the product being considered for redesign. The description should cover any shortcomings of the current design and discuss how a new 3D-printed version will improve the product. For the bonus category, students should discuss how their design will have a positive impact on individuals, communities, or the environment. More rules about the write-up and STI file can be found in the contest rules.
Winning designs will be chosen based on creativity, mechanical soundness, and achievability. Beauty (which, remember, is in the eye of the beholder) is a criterion for the first category, dubbed Art and Architecture, which is open to students of any grade level. The second, Engineering: Post-Secondary, aims at students enrolled at a university, college, or post-secondary school. The third, Engineering: Secondary Education, is open to students in middle school or high school. The fourth is the aforementioned “Make A Difference” bonus category which may apply to either of the latter two categories.
Prizes
First-place winners will be awarded with a $2,500 scholarship, and their instructor will receive a limited-time demo 3D printer for their classroom. Second-place winners will be awarded $1,000, while winners of the bonus category will achieve $1,500. A winner from an NCATC-member post-secondary school will be chosen to win a $1,000 scholarship. Even if you don’t win, it will be fun nonetheless, and you will get a free T-shirt to boot.
Deadline is February 4, 2016.