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Design a sleek, collapsible cart that will transport equipment for outdoor recreation such as beach outings, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, over varied and difficult terrain, such as sand, snow, ice, mud, and pavement.
The device must easily and dynamically move over varied terrain. It must have one mechanism for moving over hard surfaces such as pavement and packed sand (e.g., wheels), and another mechanism (e.g., ski segments) that can be easily engaged for moving over more difficult terrain such as deep sand or snow. Alternatively, the device may have one mechanism if it effectively works on both hard and soft surfaces.
Wheels alone do not work unless designers come up with a new type of wheel that will effectively move on both hard and soft surfaces. Designs that are currently used on outdoor carts – e.g., balloon tires and heavily grooved tires – will not be accepted.
Therefore, any design using a traditional wheel must ensure that the wheel can be easily retracted in manual manner, allowing for some type of rounded ski, track, or other device to be employed on more challenging terrain. Sand, in particular, is a difficult substance to move through because it can behave as both a solid and a fluid, so designers should give consideration to the design of any ski-like segments to ensure that the shape and material is sufficient to easily disperse and move through deep sand or mud. In addition, designers should consider the materials used to ensure they are lightweight and inexpensive, and to maximize resistance to salt, sand, and other harmful elements that might be encountered in outdoor environments.
Designers may employ other mechanisms that will move well on varied terrain such as mini-caterpillar tracks, roller beds, or telescoping rollers, provided that the designs are consumer-friendly and collapsible. In addition, any design scenarios that involve a track or other mechanism that will require power, should be designed to allow an area for a power source, such as a solar panel and rechargeable batteries. Consideration must be given to weight and cost of this or any other power source that may be used.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THE ENTRIES HAVE TO BE PRIVATE. SEE RULES AND PICTURES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
NB! THE DEADLINE OF THIS CHALLENGE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JANUARY 16, 2013 (LAST TIME ZONE).
Device must be easily collapsible to fit in car.
Device must be lightweight.
The device should have multiple levels/areas of storage for:
i. Heavier and/or bulkier equipment of up to approximately 100 pounds such as a cooler, tools, dirt, yard waste;
ii. Lightweight but bulky equipment such as towels, toys, tackle, tools; and
iii. vertical storage areas for wider and/or longer equipment such as beach chairs, umbrellas, fishing rods, hunting rifles, boogie boards, snow boards.
Storage areas should have removable storage compartments to allow the device to collapse, and to allow the storage compartments to be readily accessed and packed/unpacked outside of the device. If possible, when attached to the cart, any storage levels should have tracks that slide in and out like drawers to allow the consumer to easily access each level, or some other way to provide easy access.
Ideally, the device will have a locking mechanism that will allow the user to lock one storage area, or a small storage area for valuable items.
There are no specific requirements for measures, functionality is more important.
Designers must only come out with working concept design, no need to go deeply into manufacturing detail.
Only private entries are accepted in the challenge. Send an e-mail to info@grabcad.com and request for an access to upload private models. Uploaded models must be shared with kaspar@grabcad.com, sara@grabcad.com and jackiepiscitello@gmail.com
Models can be done in any CAD software as long as STEP or IGES files are also uploaded.
By entering this competition, you
1. Warrant that the work is your original work.
2. To the best of your knowledge, it is not, and has not been in production or otherwise previously published or exhibited.
3. Neither the work nor its use infringes the intellectual property rights (whether a patent, utility model, functional design right, aesthetic design right, trade mark, copyright or any other intellectual property right) of any other person.
The competition is open to everyone and You can submit several designs.
Applicants are not entitled to any compensation or reimbursement for any costs. The applicant’s participation shall not constitute employment, assignment or offer of employment or assignment.
Team entries are welcome. In case of team win, prize money will be transferred to team leader who is solely responsible for splitting it among team members.
Tag your model with “outdoorcart”. Only entries with valid tag will participate!
Only models uploaded to GrabCAD library through this Challenge page will participate in the competition.
Winning designs will be chosen based on the rules and requirements.
This Challenge starts on December 4, 2012 and ends on January 3, 2013, at Last Time Zone.
Winners will be announced latest January 30, 2013.
All cash prizes awarded through Paypal (http://grabcad.com/faq#money). Void where prohibited.
Cash awards of $3,500
$2,000 cash + GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
$1,000 cash + GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
$500 cash + GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
GrabCAD T shirt and coffee mug
The company behind this Challenge wants to remain anonymous.
Kaspar Kiis
Jacqueline PiscitelloHave an awesome idea for this competition? Want to win cool prizes? Sign-up now to upload your entries.
If you don't receive the email within an hour (and you've checked your Spam folder), email us as confirmation@grabcad.com.
92 comments
Tomas over 11 years ago
Interesting challenge.
Aref A over 11 years ago
Indeed. Interesting challenge. Probably a nation's military came up with this challenge.
Ármin Fendrik over 11 years ago
So if I'm right, the solution does not need to move over objects?
teigan over 11 years ago
will i be disqualified if my device employs a domesticated dog as part of the assembly?
Marcus over 11 years ago
When i read the description its like NASA looks for some new wheels for new generation of rover.
AIT OUFKIR YASSINE over 11 years ago
nice challenge
teigan over 11 years ago
it isn't a sensible challenge in that it claims existing wheel/tyres alone can not accomplish their goal. off the shelf paddle tyres would be more than sufficient to roll efficiently over hard and soft surfaces. sand,mud and snow would be no obstacle. especially at the low speeds a which the cart would be pulled.
Negrievski Nenad over 11 years ago
Jacqueline, please specify you target group.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Hi. The target group is everyday consumers, not military. Think families on beach and ski outings. Do you remember when people used to drag heavy suitcases through airports before someone had the simple idea of putting wheels and a handle on them? Looking to do something similar here to minimize the inconvenience of dragging lots of "stuff" outdoors.
The device does not need to move over large objects but should move easily over small objects that would be found on challenging outdoor terrain such as small rocks.
teigan over 11 years ago
this morning i went a sandy beach with a snowboard in tow to test your theory that a sled will get through sand easily. even with no extra weight on it, the snowboard dragged uncomfortably and cut into any small bumps rather than go over them. it felt far heavier to pull than on snow. then i tried pulling it with a 95lb girl sitting on it. both on dry and wet sand it was a huge effort to pull, and it would have been less effort carrying both the girl and the snowboard while walking. i also noticed the lifeguards use a wheeled vehicle, and not a sled or tanktread vehicle to drive on the beach.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
1) Sketches and 3D drawings are required.
2) The entire device must be collapsible like a stroller, to easily fit into the trunk of a car, like a stroller. So any tracks at the bottom of the device must collapse in some way. Basket areas can be removable.
3) The size should be roughly the size of a large stroller. The exact dimensions are flexible as long as the device has enough room to store something the size of a standard cooler, bulky items, and wide and long items as described above (e.g., boogie boards, fishing equipment, hunting gear). I can provide additional details on approximate dimensions if you like.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
A few thoughts on the ski/sled issue on sand:
1) On hard-packed sand, wheels or tracks will work better than ski/sled segments.
2) For deeper sand, take a look at the design of sand skis that are used for sand dune skiing. I think if you use ski/sled segments, they will have to be circular and rounded, and be made of polyurethaned wood (or smooth plastic) to move well.
3) The idea is to make this device low-cost. Therefore, ideally the cart will be hand-pushed. However, to be effective the design may require a small power source. But think batteries and a small solar panel here, not a motor. We are not designing a vehicle.
teigan over 11 years ago
thanks for the input jacqueline. but powered or not, it is not helpful to slide on sand. the friction is too great. what a ski foot or a pontoon foot does for you is keep you from sinking into the sand which is good. however, you also need the mechanical advantage you get from reliable traction. so treads or skis won't work. as i mention above, paddle tyres are the way to go. i don't think you will need outside power except to dig yourself out of the dirt on takeoff after the cart has been stationary for a long period and sunk in. as long as you are moving, the cart will stay afloat on tyres of appropriate width. if you do happen to get stuck, the power assist makes the paddle tyres function like a river boat paddle, and propel you out of the sand or mud. a solar cell isn't really an appropriate choice to have an effect on 100lbs of payload, because it would need to be huge. a hand cranked spring would be better. in case of emergency, you wind it up and release it with a trigger. the spring powers the wheels just long enough for the cart to get unstuck.
Sherwin Mocon over 11 years ago
can u give us the exact size of the cart ( L W H ) @ JACQUELINE
David Soares over 11 years ago
Vamos lá !
Marosi Lorant over 11 years ago
What will the cart be attached to? will it be car pulled, hand pulled or both?
Dave Engle over 11 years ago
Re-reading through the elements, I'll bite. Seems bent towards Military usage of some sort. (good responses from people!). Weight is the big player here. Thank you Jacqueline for clarification, it helps to get a better picture of XYZ limitations. Cheers, all.!
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Sherwin - I will get back to you with approximate sizes later today.
Marosi - The cart will be hand pulled or hand pushed.
Dave - If there is a successful design, there could be military applications down the road but that is not the immediate goal.
Teigan - I guess you are understanding why we have issued the challenge! We have looked at various attempts to use different types of large wheels and I can assure you that on a cart they are very difficult to drag through deep sand and deep snow, even without being "stuck". That is why we are looking for an alternate solution. Caterpillar tracks do work well on varied terrain, which is why they are used on military tanks v.
teigan over 11 years ago
what the wheel needs to get is an effective bite into the sand. otherwise you are just pulling the wheel without it spinning. you get no mechanical advantage from a wheel that doesn't spin, which is probably why you had a hard time pulling the load. the tyre must be non radial to float effectively on the surface, and it must also have widely spaced paddles on it that sink below the surface. if you choose the size and proportions correctly, a wheel only system will outperform a tank tread with a fraction of the weight and bulk.
teigan over 11 years ago
return trip to the beach this morning with a four wheeled gardening cart. it has 8 inch diameter 2.5"wide knobby tyres. traction was pretty good with no slippage except when i pulled at a running pace. but adding an extra 100 lbs it sank a few inches deeper in the sand, and it was like constantly having to pull uphill whenever i slowed down and lost forward momentum. however, with the correct type of tyres, wheels would fulfill all expectations.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Approximate Dimensions:
- Storage basket areas should be roughly 18" H x 20" W x 30" L (one of which should fit a collapsible or removable cooler of this approximate size
- Pull/push handle should be approximately 36" - 38" off the ground (definitely no higher than 40").
- If you are stacking two storage areas (as opposed to having them side-by-side), you can shorten the height of the basket areas if needed, depending on how much height your transport mechanism takes up on the bottom.
- The goal would be to have the overall dimensions of the cart (including the transport mechanism but not any handles) be no more than 40"H x 22"W x 32" L. However, the exact size is flexible and can vary if needed.
Ármin Fendrik over 11 years ago
Ist there a wieght limit to the whole system?
Sherwin Mocon over 11 years ago
I think the important for this challenge is the concept how we can give their needs..
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
The lighter the better, but assuming any storage basket areas have been removed, 20 lbs. would probably be the maximum weight when the device is collapsed because it needs to be easily lifted out of a vehicle.
Simonr over 11 years ago
Interesting challenge!
Assuming the cart is not powered, how much force should it take to pull it along?
I know it's difficult to quantify, but should it be easier than for example a flat bottomed sledge (which will drag through all the environments listed).
How are the designs going to be scored? Is it just the innovation & appearance or does the efficiency matter?
Simonr over 11 years ago
Having read the above comments - it answers part of my question. Teigan is right though, that a wheel is hard to beat efficiency wise. A Theo-Jansen walking mechanism comes close - but is probably too complex. It would look cool though!
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Ultimately a wheel may be the solution, but it needs to be "reinvented" to be more effective. To get your imaginations going, take a look at http://www.unusuallocomotion.com/pages/locomotion/the-wheel-reinvented.htmv
For example, would a wheel along the lines of a pedrail, rotoped system, or tree-crusher rollers work?
The most important criteria for this contest is functional solution that will work well on the sand/snow and meets the requirements of being collapsible, lightweight, and low-cost. Appearance is important but secondary to functionality.
teigan over 11 years ago
given grabcad's abilities,no prize should be awarded until a working prototype is made and tested. and any design that is too expensive or time consuming to prototype on a predefined budget and timeframe should be disqualified. otherwise we'll get the usual fraudulent entries hiding behind naivety, making claims that defy the laws of physics.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Here is another thing to consider for anyone considering a ski-type solution. According to sand skiiers, thin layers of formica or laminex work well as a base layer going over sand. Thoughts on those materials?
Ármin Fendrik over 11 years ago
I think this will be operated manualy, so the surface is not the first thing to be worried about, becouse there wont be any great friction, so the surface wont be damaged (at least not much)...
teigan over 11 years ago
i have tried sand skiing and sleding. anything other than a steep hill and you stop moving. and the bottom of the metal skis were red hot after reaching the bottom of the dune. but i agree with you that a hard smooth coating would lower friction. maybe not significantly enough. how would we test this though without spending huge amounts of money to develop a coating? i guess you could substitute a glass pane which would work for a few minutes.
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
Once you submit your private entry be sure to add @Jacqueline, @Kaspar, and me as collaborators. See the picture, on the right, in the Challenge description for details.
Christian Padilla over 11 years ago
This is gonna be fun
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Just a reminder that there are several design entries that I am unable to view thus far. Please add myself and the other judges as collaborators so we can view your submissions and provide feedback!
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
@teigan - It would not be a perfect laminex or formica coating, but you may be able to get some spare sheets on the cheap from a place that does custom countertops for a materials test.
teigan over 11 years ago
even glass will scratch on beach sand. i wonder how long a laminate surface would stay smooth. i'll try gluing some to ski and let you know. i'm dubious about the "glide" category of solutions, but i'm still listening.
vidstig over 11 years ago
So what is the best transportation on sand?
Skis not so good due to friction... wheels not so good due to that is gets stuck in loose sand.
So what is, do we need to invent something completely new here or what?
I still think that the best ide is something that has a lot of surface contact and not a lot of weight to it ... if you know what I mean
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
@vidstig - Your design might be something completely new, or it might be a modification to an existing wheel/track/ski. Check out all of the prior discussion as well as the link I referred people to regarding unusual wheel designs.
vidstig over 11 years ago
yeah, I have read all the comments that is why I asked ...
In my opionion it is better to have skis over wheels in lose materials like sand/snow and so on. But that is just me...
I wanna learn more, why is that better then the other ones ... I can be wrong about skis ... Like teigan wrote, the "snowboard" ide might not be the way to go.
Chould you have like some sort of tank threads that is still lightweight enough that you can push it without any help??
(p.s I wanna start discussions beacuse I learn alot from them. "The best idées are forged in the fire of criticism")
vijay singh over 11 years ago
hey Are you looking for wheels which can move on several surfaces or looking for terrain which can moves on all surfaces which is mentioned by you.hm.. I mean what is more important wheels or terrain ?
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
@Vijay - Sorry, I don't completely understand your question about surface versus terrain? Can you please elaborate and I will try to answer.
vijay singh over 11 years ago
@Jacqueline :- I mean is it necessary that same wheel perform on several surfaces ? or we can use different wheels for different surfaces ?
Ramtin Imani over 11 years ago
will if you want to take that direction itll take to much time to switchout everytime your traviling or going somewhere so your better off just putting a all train tire just like a car.
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
@Vijay - The goal is to have one mechanism that will work on several surfaces, or the ability to dynamically switch between multiple mechanisms - e.g., if you use wheels that will not work on all terrain, you might want them to be retractable so you could engage a ski or other mechanism.
Ármin Fendrik over 11 years ago
I think there is something wrong: The page says:
Deadline 20 days
and
This Challenge starts on December 4, 2012 and ends on January 3, 2013, at Last Time Zone
I think thats only 6 days or so.
vijay singh over 11 years ago
@Jacqueline Piscitello :- thank you , has deadline extended ?i
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Yes, the deadline has been extended by two weeks until January 16, 2013 due to holidays.
Tomas over 11 years ago
I am near the end of my entry, ha ha ha :D
Reza Allahyari over 11 years ago
Good Luck Tomas ;)
Tomas over 11 years ago
Thanks Reza! :)
Tommy Mueller over 11 years ago
I'm excited about entering the contest, better late with my idea, than never!
Please accept my humble critiquing about this project:
A majority of important information is nested within the comments and it really should be added to the project description at the top, (i.e. The overall weight, the outside dimensions, load capacity, etc.) Also, the pictures at the top are visually confusing since I couldn't imagine any contraptions in the images making to the hands of a family, the ideal target group.
It's taken the better part of two days sorting through the comments, description, as well as my own research. But now I'm on to the modeling, the fun part.
I hope to meet and exceed the project scope, more later...
JF Brandon over 11 years ago
Excellent point Tommy, thanks!
Tommy Mueller over 11 years ago
3am, .... almost finished ;)
teigan over 11 years ago
i'm starting later today. spent too long researching (playing on the beach).
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
There will be a delay in the number of entries as we near the Challenge deadline. Do not worry! I will refresh the entries a few hours after it finishes. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience.
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
The entries have been refreshed and should be up to date. Good luck in the Challenge!
Tommy Mueller over 11 years ago
If only we knew what the other designs looked like....hmmm
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
thank you grabcad for giving me the opportunity to enter a contest. this is my first one ever so hopefully it goes good for me. i would love to see my design in production. i think they would sell themselves. thanks again grabcad. and Sara.
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
Great to have you participate Jon! Best of luck - I hope we see you enter many more Challenges.
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
We can see all entries @Eddwin. The judges are still going them all and will get back about the winners by the end of the month. Sorry for the wait, I know it is full of anticipation!
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
one day left.......
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
the anticipation is killing me:)
Tommy Mueller over 11 years ago
Right on Jon, I'm glad somebody is expressing the waiting ;) It's killing me too! Like constantly on the mind lol
Best of luck Jon!
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
good luck to you to tommy!
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
Time to announce the winners! At the request of the sponsor, we will keep the entries private but share the name of the winners here. Congrats and thank you to everyone - we got so many great ideas with this one.
1st. Yavor
2nd. bj
3rd. John Huizingh
4th. Miro Arsov
5th. Andres San Millan
6th. teigan
RJuanatey over 11 years ago
Congratulations to all the winners. Next time I hope I will be one of them. And thanks to GrabCAD for the contest.
teigan over 11 years ago
i'm sincerely glad to be acknowledged, but i can't accept the prize because my project was extremely unfinished. i only submitted a locomotion method, and didn't get around to designing anything above the axles. there must be others more deserving. thanks for recognising the potential in my entry. wish i had cleared more free time to work on it.
Branko Stokuca over 11 years ago
@teigan Really nice gesture from you to step out and say something like this.
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
wow not even in the top six? so does this mean i can protype my design?
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
prototype
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
next time i wont spend so much time on this. congrats to all the winners. can't wait to see the other designs.
Branko Stokuca over 11 years ago
@Jon Curtis you can see mine.
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
very creative Lunder.
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
Tomas i love the wheel idea. that's pretty cool.
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
Stokuca, very cool. like the colors. great concept.
Jon Curtis over 11 years ago
very cool Eddwin. nice presentation.
Branko Stokuca over 11 years ago
Wow. Interesting designs guys. Winner cart must be something exceptional.
Branko Stokuca over 11 years ago
Thank you Jon.
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
All winners must keep their designs private. Please do not share your models in the comment thread. If you choose to remove your entry from the challenge be sure to remove all tags, logos, and mentions of the sponsor/challenge. I understand the need to share your work, you cannot remain a part of the challenge if you do so.
Tommy Mueller over 11 years ago
Congrats ya'll, this is a nice challenge to have won.
Must have been a tough competition, I think I'll try just a little bit harder next time!
Jacqueline Piscitello over 11 years ago
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who entered the competition!
J. Shepherd over 11 years ago
will the models be made public so that the community can see the winning designs?
Sara Sigel over 11 years ago
Sorry, this is a private challenge which means all models must remain private.
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