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'Gearing Up' Design Competition

GrabCAD is 'gearing up' for bigger and better things. We thought we'd test drive a lot of the new features of GrabCAD Teams and see what we're missing. We want to work closely with a team of GrabCAD Engineers and Designers to conceive, design and prototype a product that you'd like to see on a Bike.

This design could be a bike light, a unique gear system, an interesting seat design ... perhaps a helmet or an item of clothing. Anything that can be used on a bike. We have a limited budget - so don't suggest something extravagant like a Titanium frame or a nuclear-powered bike light, in spite of how cool that would be! It should be able to fitted to any bike whatsoever, or for any biker to use - so keep that in mind. It doesn't have to be a brand new idea. It could be an improvement on existing designs.

Once the best sketch has been selected, we will make a team and work together to produce a CAD model that we can prototype!

Requirements

  • Tag your sketch with 'gearing up'

  • Your idea is 3D Printable (for prototyping reasons) - Usually the maximum size of 3D Printers is 30 x 30 x 30 cms....

  • Feel free to work as teams.

Download specification

Rules

  • Submit a picture or a scan of your sketch, not a CAD model. It could be drawn on a napkin, a piece of paper, your hand - as any great idea starts. Don't forget a little explanation of your project.

  • Your idea has to be feasible and is inexpensive to prototype.

  • Ideas can include electronics, but the simpler, the better. We won't accept a design for some sort of touchscreen, waterproof bike-computer.

  • Tag your model to bikeidea

Prizes

1st Prize

$400 + GrabCAD TShirt

2nd Prize

$200 + Guaranteed spot on the design team.

3rd Prize

$100 + GrabCAD T-shirt

4th Prize

GrabCAD T-Shirt

5th Prize

GrabCAD T-Shirt

About the jury?

JF Brandon and Gabe Blanchet work with GrabCAD - we will be managing this Design Challenge and the team that will eventually CAD model the winning sketch.

About GrabCAD

GrabCAD is a community founded by mechanical engineers. It is also a place for engineers to share their talent, expand knowledge, find a dream project and work with tools and features that make life better. Our HQ is located in Boston, MA with the development team in Estonia.

56 comments

  • Tomas

    Tomas over 11 years ago

    Interesting challenge :)

    Tomas has uploaded 50 CAD models & has left 760 comments.
  • EDISON PHOENIX

    EDISON PHOENIX over 11 years ago

    Wow....!!! Nice challenge.......!!!

    EDISON PHOENIX has uploaded 141 CAD models & has left 685 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    is this based on the idea or the artistic ability of the drawing?

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    My first submition Cable detangler is in!

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Vincenzo Ricci

    Vincenzo Ricci over 11 years ago

    sorry guys, can I also draw a object that can not be printed from the 3D printer? must necessarily be prototyped from 3D printer?

    Vincenzo Ricci has uploaded 11 CAD models & has left 149 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    @Vincenzo Ricci I would say to put it up and we will see. someone here may have an idea on how it could be prototyped on a 3D printer.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Vincenzo Ricci

    Vincenzo Ricci over 11 years ago

    @Stephen Nyberg ok thank you very much Stephen

    Vincenzo Ricci has uploaded 11 CAD models & has left 149 comments.
  • Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed

    Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed over 11 years ago

    hahaha... nuclear powered bike light... aaah... funny...

    on a serious note though, does it HAVE to be a sketch only? I prefer to model my ideas on the fly rather than sketch. I can sketch but... well... just asking if I can for example model first and then make a sketch out of it?

    so regarding the 3D printout, I just need to stay within the specified size and the limits of the 3D printer right? so could you tell us the specific 3D printer that will be used or its print specifications?

    Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed has uploaded 12 CAD models & has left 83 comments.
  • John Huizingh

    John Huizingh over 11 years ago

    I have added a sketch, not to see in the challenge yet by the way.
    Adult Bike Seat

    John Huizingh has uploaded 43 CAD models & has left 124 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    Hey Everyone - Make sure your models are tagged with 'bikeidea' so that it makes it as an entry.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    @Ibrahim you can model it with pottery clay and then sketch that ... it doesn't matter :P

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    @Martin, why can't you edit your tags? if you click at the gear on the upper right corner of your model you can edit it and add the appropriate tag.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    i'm glad it worked. no shame, at least you asked.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • John Huizingh

    John Huizingh over 11 years ago

    Stephen, No I know why this EDIT function does not work for me. In Internet Explorer the Edit button is completely covered by the "Settings for the Model" pop-up. There is no way I can click EDIT. In Google Chrome it worked...

    John Huizingh has uploaded 43 CAD models & has left 124 comments.
  • Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed

    Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed over 11 years ago

    @john huizingh... hey sometimes that happens to me too. the elance.com site has some pages that act weird like that but i am using chrome. try changing the zoom (hold ctrl_key & press plus_key or minus_key)... that might work sometimes...

    Ibrahim Sanih Ahmed has uploaded 12 CAD models & has left 83 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    I have issues with different browsers not letting me do thing too. I use Firefox and it works well for me. internet explorer is my least favorite.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    These submissions are pretty cool thus far! Keep it up everybody!

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Ashish Kumar

    Ashish Kumar over 11 years ago

    i have uploaded my drawing Compact helmet 2020 , a cool cycle helmet with multi features . Hope you will like it :)

    Ashish Kumar has uploaded 25 CAD models & has left 35 comments.
  • RQ

    RQ over 11 years ago

    Just uploaded my entry, solar rear mudguard, hope it's within the specs. By the way there are some great ideas in those entries!

    RQ has uploaded 1 CAD models & has left 2 comments.
  • Vaibhav Bhujbal

    Vaibhav Bhujbal over 11 years ago

    I have sketched the design and labeled it in the font..IS this okey??

    Vaibhav Bhujbal has uploaded 12 CAD models & has left 35 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    @Vaibhav Im sure that's fine.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Vaibhav Bhujbal

    Vaibhav Bhujbal over 11 years ago

    Thanx a lot for the info.

    Vaibhav Bhujbal has uploaded 12 CAD models & has left 35 comments.
  • Negrievski Nenad

    Negrievski Nenad over 11 years ago

    Hello,

    Can the submitted concept be made of multiple parts (prints) ?
    Also, with which types of materials can you print?

    Thanks

    Negrievski Nenad has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 18 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    Yes yes absolutely. And assume that you could use any material found on Shapeways.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Negrievski Nenad

    Negrievski Nenad over 11 years ago

    Ok, Great.

    Negrievski Nenad has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 18 comments.
  • Negrievski Nenad

    Negrievski Nenad over 11 years ago

    Hi again,
    I have a question for the contest holder. Why isn't there any feedback from you on the concepts? If i don't know your opinion on my idea i cannot develop it further. Or if you don't find it interesting, i can at least work on some new ideas.
    Thanks.

    Negrievski Nenad has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 18 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    @Nenad Well as a juror, I don't want to favour one design over another by commenting and providing feedback at this point, nor limit anyone's imagination. This a freeform phase - anything goes and there is no 'right answer' (except the limitation of manufacturing and design cost as listed in the rules). You should ask everyone else what they think.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Negrievski Nenad

    Negrievski Nenad over 11 years ago

    Ok, thanks Brandon.

    Negrievski Nenad has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 18 comments.
  • Julius Siador

    Julius Siador over 11 years ago

    Hi Brandon, what if the idea is so nice and patentable? How will the Grabcad community and the inventors take advantage of it? We could sell the idea to potential manufacturers, I think...

    Julius Siador has uploaded 16 CAD models & has left 62 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    Good question Julius. Our goal is to test our collaborative tools and features and see how well they work. If it turns out that GrabCAD Teams can really produce incredibly useful and powerful products that people will be falling over themselves in stores to buy, then we'll have to give it more thought. If our clients are benefiting hugely from our software, that's amazing. In fact - that's exactly what we had planned for. But for this project - making a patentable (and thus, commercialized) product is not in the cards. Maybe it will - but that's not where we're at.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    To be clear - we want to protect the winners if they produce a really amazing product. The designers and GrabCAD will own the final design. But commercialization is not where we're going with this challenge.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Chris

    Chris over 11 years ago

    I had a thought about all the blinking light indicators submitted. Without a frame of reference (I.E. two healights/taillights) a blinking light is a blinking light at night. It will not indicate direction of desired movement.

    Chris has uploaded 9 CAD models & has left 20 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    Only 24 minutes left! Wow suddenly we received a whole bevy of entries! Gabe and I have our work cut out for us.... looking forward to it!

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • teigan

    teigan over 11 years ago

    once again, my entry is not showing up. what exactly causes this?

    teigan has uploaded 9 CAD models & has left 167 comments.
  • Chris

    Chris over 11 years ago

    Those of us that skate in just under the deadline seem to always get hit by this. I guess the server went to sleep early. (mine is also missing)

    Chris has uploaded 9 CAD models & has left 20 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    same here :(

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    so will our uploads be counted? even though its not listed on the actual entry list?

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • Hardi Meybaum

    Hardi Meybaum over 11 years ago

    Don't worry - write to JF and we will take care of this.

    Hardi Meybaum has uploaded 6 CAD models & has left 771 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    :)

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • hosnieh

    hosnieh over 11 years ago

    same here :(

    hosnieh has uploaded 1 CAD models & has left 3 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    @Hosnieh Your bike is on my list - don't worry about it.

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Kaspar Kiis

    Kaspar Kiis over 11 years ago

    Thank you for participating in the challenge. Please make sure your entries are listed in http://grabcad.com/challenges/gearing-up-design-competition/entries If no, send me an e-mail to kaspar@grabcad.com

    Kaspar Kiis has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 635 comments.
  • JF Brandon

    JF Brandon over 11 years ago

    Hey everyone - still working my way through the submissions - so far everything looks fantastic. I was hoping to get a really fast turnaround on this challenge but there is a lot on the go. In the meanwhile, check this out! If only we had known that Luxology had ways of 2D rendering drafts of 3D models! http://solidsmack.com/design/luxology-npr-kit-3d-models-2d-drawings/

    JF Brandon has uploaded 10 CAD models & has left 341 comments.
  • Romano Gaspari

    Romano Gaspari over 11 years ago

    @JF Brandon Why only the second winner will have a guaranteed spot in design team and not the first winner?

    Romano Gaspari has uploaded 8 CAD models & has left 114 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    @Romano. I think the first place winner is going to the lead on the project.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Dragan Beljan

    Dragan Beljan over 11 years ago

    And, the winner is............

    Dragan Beljan has uploaded 89 CAD models & has left 172 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    Crossing my fingers and toes for one of those GrabCAD t-shirts!

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • Stephen Nyberg

    Stephen Nyberg over 11 years ago

    Congrats everyone

    @ Kira, you got second! The only winner that does not get a shirt ! :(. But I think they should still give you one.

    Stephen Nyberg has uploaded 127 CAD models & has left 1243 comments.
  • Gabe Blanchet

    Gabe Blanchet over 11 years ago

    @Kira - We can do that! Congratulations

    Gabe Blanchet has uploaded 3 CAD models & has left 98 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    This is so exciting!!! Thanks Guys

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • Kira

    Kira over 11 years ago

    @Gabe - does 2nd place also get a GrabCAD T-shirt? :P

    Kira has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 107 comments.
  • Dragan Beljan

    Dragan Beljan over 11 years ago

    Congratulations the winner

    Dragan Beljan has uploaded 89 CAD models & has left 172 comments.
  • Jean-Marc Bennett

    Jean-Marc Bennett over 11 years ago

    Good pick for first! Third too... Congrats!

    Jean-Marc Bennett has uploaded 7 CAD models & has left 4 comments.

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  • Deadline Passed
  • Total entries 66
  • Who’s in the jury?
  • JF Brandon
  • Gabe Blanchet

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