Product designers to strut their ingenuity in Create the Future Design Contest
Competition sponsored by SolidWorks and
CONCORD, Mass., Aug. 6, 2007 - Celebrating the "a-ha!" moment latent in every product designer and engineer, the Create the Future Design Contest sponsored by SolidWorks Corporation and NASA Tech Briefs is accepting entries from inventors around the world.
Engineers and product designers have until Oct. 15, 2007 to submit their ideas for the next invention that could change how we work, play, and live. In its sixth year, the contest celebrates entrants' abilities to explore new ways to design the as yet unimagined. Aside from the $20,000 grand prize, the contest will award a new powerful HP workstation to each of the category winners, and $250 to the top 10 most visited entries. To submit an entry or find out more information about the Create the Future Design Contest, visit the Web site (http://www.createthefuturecontest.com/). Other contest co-sponsors include COMSOL, Hewlett-Packard, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
"We want product designers to push the limits of their creativity and pursue the concept of the 'absurdly ideal' design," said Rainer Gawlick, SolidWorks vice president of worldwide marketing. "That is, we want them to discover the best solution to a design challenge, no matter how far-fetched it may seem. That creativity is the spark behind many of our greatest inventions."
Contest entrants have six categories to choose from: machinery, equipment, and component technology; consumer products; medical; safety and security; transportation; and sustainable technologies. A panel of expert judges will evaluate entries based on marketability, manufacturability, and cost effectiveness. Winning ideas can include products that are entirely conceptual, or in prototyping or early production. The key criteria will be bold alternatives to conventional approaches.
Qualified entries will include a text description (500 words or less) on an idea for a mechanical or electro-mechanical product in the categories above. They should also include a 30-word abstract of the idea and a 30-word description of the problem solved. Finally, they should have one or more visual illustrations (regardless of format, i.e., CAD file, sketch, etc.) of the idea.
"In five years this contest has been the seed bed for innovative designs that could someday be ubiquitous," said Joe Pramberger, publisher of NASA Tech Briefs. "We expect over 1,000 entries from more than 40 countries this year, as engineers and product designers put their skills on display and share creative ideas."
About NASA Tech Briefs
NASA Tech Briefs is an official publication of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration, with a qualified circulation surpassing 190,000. The monthly magazine features exclusive reports of innovations developed by NASA and its industry partners/contractors that can be applied to develop new/improved products and solve engineering or manufacturing problems. Authored by the engineers or scientists who did the work, the briefs span a wide array of fields, including electronics, physical sciences, materials, computer software, mechanics, machinery/automation, manufacturing/fabrication, mathematics/information sciences, and life sciences.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (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’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) and Dassault Systèmes’ ADRs may be traded on the US Over-The-Counter (OTC) market (DASTY). For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/.
CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, SolidWorks, and 3D VIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright © 2009 Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
