Powerful observatory camera model wins SolidWorks Design Contest 2008
'One Degree Imager' will help solve the universe's deepest mysteries
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2008 ? How did our universe form? Which stars have Earth-like planets in orbit? How do galaxies develop? These are some of the eternal questions that the One Degree Imager, designed in SolidWorks® 3D CAD software, will address when it?s christened in 2009. Essentially a powerful camera that will go inside a powerful telescope, the design captured the grand prize in the SolidWorks Design Contest 2007 competition. The results were announced this morning at the SolidWorks World 2008 International User Conference & Exposition.
?The One Degree Imager will deliver an image 100 times larger than the Hubble with comparable clarity,? explained Senior Mechanical Engineer Gary Muller, accepting the award on behalf of the WIYN Observatory Tucson, Ariz. ?It will capture everything the telescope looks at ? a terabyte of data every night ? compensating for atmospheric distortion in real time. A lot of brainpower went into this, and SolidWorks helped capture it, delivering a truly better product.?
The WIYN Observatory is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium (University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory).
?It?s a challenge to design one of the world?s most powerful and sophisticated instruments while staying on time and within budget,? Muller continued. ?SolidWorks software?s reliability, ease of use, visualization, and assembly capabilities ? together with its integration with COSMOSWorks® design validation software ? helped us meet those goals and execute our ambitious plans.?
Muller took home a Lenovo ThinkPad notebook computer, part of a purse worth $75,000 distributed among the winners, who include:
MODEL CONTEST
1 st place ? Naber Plastics B.V., Buron Elementz Kitcar, Rob Wolkers, Engineer
2 nd place ? Page Product Design, Inc., Mule Industrial Lift, Matthew Page, President
3 rd place ? Feature Factory, Acoustic Ceiling Feature, Jonathan McGregor, Engineer
PHOTOREALISTIC IMAGES CONTEST
1 st place ? Indian Institute of Technology, Dehli, Steam Iron and Alloy Wheels, Ambar Bandi, Industrial Designer
2 nd place ? Gould Studios, Reproduction of the Dorpat Telescope, Bill Gould, Owner
3 rd place ? ThermoSpas, Inc., Swim/Trainer, James Parys, Design Engineer
ANIMATIONS CONTEST
1 st place ? Paper Converting Machinery Corporation, Prolog LT Log Saw, Dan Allen, Designer
2 nd place ? SchuF Group, Delayed Coking Process Animation, Rory Stanley, Head of Marketing
3 rd place - Wakefield High School, Out-of-the-Box Rubik?s Cube Solution, Ellis P. Kieffer, Student
?Contestants entered some astonishing designs this year, all deserving of acclaim,? said Rainer Gawlick, SolidWorks vice president of worldwide marketing. ?It?s quite apparent that as our software improves, so does the ability of designers and engineers to harness their creativity and realize their engineering visions. It?s an honor these great designers and engineers have chosen SolidWorks.?
To view the winning designs, as well as the other entries, visit http://www.solidworks.com/pages/successes/CustomerDesignContest/CustomerDesignContest2007Entries.html.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) brand, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, providing intuitive, high-performing software that helps product design teams develop great products. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (http://www.solidworks.com/) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).
About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product - SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design - DELMIA for virtual production - SIMULIA for virtual testing - ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.
