Show off your skills and solve real design problems

Develop highly cost effective sunglasses for children as a preventative measure for Pterygium (known in the US as Surfer’s Eye.)
This is a first of a series of challenges by Dreambox Emergence in conjunction with techfortrade, to leverage the capabilities of the global CAD design community to solve known challenges of the underdeveloped, rural communities where we are placing 3D printers to create local manufacturing capability. By holding these contests we expect to give contestants the gratification of seeing real world applications of their innovations / solutions, global recognition of their ingenuity as well as a practical opportunity to refine their CAD skills for additive manufacturing.
You must include:
- Rendering of your design.
- Native CAD file that can be fully edited.
- STL version for printing.
The winning design will be:
- Focused on form and design.
- Inexpensive and easy to produce.
- Reliably durable for customers.
Printability requirements:
- Must have < 1 error per 5 prints on a Makerbot Replicator 2
- Avoid complicated supports for suspended components
- Product should be easy to remove from platform
- Rafting is discouraged
- Single- or multi- component models will be accepted
- All components must be submitted in one printable file
- Single color of PLA filament is anticipated
Product Design requirements:
- Product must sit easily and securely on small faces.
- Product must allow for the fastening of lenses (see below).
- Suggested dimensions are NOT a requirement, merely a guideline.
○ Frame width: 15cm
○ Temple length: 11cm
○ Lens width: 5.5cm
○ Lens height: 3.5cm
- All contact points should be smooth and curved.
- No sharp edges.
- Design to withstand significant applied torsional and compressional force.
- Design to survive being dropped and crushed to a reasonable degree.
- Any hinges must either snap easily together or require minimal external components (pins, etc).
- Any external components should be listed explicitly along with source and cost.
- Lenses will be cut to frame shape and tested.
- Frames must include lens grooves for standard snap-in compression fit.
You are encouraged to include:
- Your location (city and country) in your GrabCAD profile.
- Description of your design.
The competition is open to everyone. Multiple entries are acceptable. Team entries are welcome - prize will be transferred to team leader. Participants may only win one prize per Challenge.
Tag your entry with “DREAMBOX” when uploading to GrabCAD. When you submit through the "Submit entry" button, this is added automatically. Only entries with valid tag will participate. Only entries uploaded to GrabCAD through the "Submit entry" button on this Challenge page will be considered an entry.
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.
______________________
If you think an entry may infringe on existing copyrighted materials, please email challenges@grabcad.com.
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.
The awarded participant is solely liable for the payment of all taxes, duties and other similar measures if imposed on the reward pursuant to the legislation of the country of his/her residence, domicile, citizenship, workplace, or any other criterion of similar nature. Only 1 award per person.
Only public entries will be considered. Any private submissions will be made public at the Challenge deadline.
Winning designs will be chosen based on the rules and requirements. This Challenge ends on December 9, 2013 (11:59pm UTC). Winners will be announced latest on December 31, 2013.
Void where prohibited.
We will release the winners before the final announcement to give the Community an opportunity to "vote" for their favorites in the comments. The jury will take these into consideration when picking the final winner. This new addition is based on feedback from you!
Awards for Best Design + 5 Runners-up
We will select five finalist designs and one winning design. The winning design will be guaranteed production and distribution on the ground, while runners up will be produced depending on design and demand.
● Dreambox Emergence Fellow Status. Winner will be recognized as a lead design contributor and featured prominently on our site, while eventually indicating the impact your design is having. This also provides the opportunity to work with us going forward, should you decide to.
● Eligibility for Onsite Design Fellowship: You will be selected into a pool of candidates for a sponsored Designer in Residence trip to one of Dreambox Emergence’ locations.
● Handmade gift on behalf of Dreambox Emergence made by the textile community in Nebaj, renowned for their delicate designs and steeped in local tradition. The gift is sponsored, and will therefore directly support this community.
● Promotion at 3D Printshow in New York on Feb 13-15, 2014.
● GrabCAD swag.
● Feature promotion via press releases and online brand publicity.
● Small gift from community in Nebaj.
● Pre-paid print time on one of our affiliated 3D printers.
● Promotion at 3D Printshow in New York on Feb 13-15, 2014.
● GrabCAD swag.
The jury will be comprised of experts from techfortrade, Dreambox, Hubs and GrabCAD.
Dreambox Emergence Benefit LLC (DBE) and tecfortrade are focused on bridging the divide between emerging technology and economic development, and as such have formed a partnership for this event. Dreambox Emergence is born out of a single question. What would happen if 3D printing technology allowed developing nations to cut their dependency on imported goods and build a localized manufacturing industry of their own? Dreambox Emergence is a New York City-based social enterprise seeking to democratize production in the emerging markets0by employing the fast rising capabilities of 3D printing. We place 3D printers in rural, underdeveloped communities with high reliance on imported goods, allowing them to0manufacture an assortment of necessary goods including eyewear, tools medical products, eyewear, and everyday utensils. By harnessing the capabilities of 3D printing we aim to provide localized production capabilities, sustainable employment opportunities and improved livelihood and health. In this quest we are currently partnered with Community Enterprise Solutions0and New Development Solutions Group along with techfortrade.
techfortrade is the leading UK charity specifically focused on bridging the divide between emerging technology and international trade and economic development. We directly support early stage businesses using innovative and disruptive digital technology to create opportunities that facilitate trade and alleviate poverty. techfortrade has been at the forefront of the debate around the potential for 3D printing technologies to improve the position of the world’s poorest communities. In 2012, with the help of Makerbot, Grabcad and Econolyst, we ran our first challenge – the 3D4D Challenge – which aimed to find transformational uses for 3D printing that could deliver real social benefit in the developing world.
29 comments
Fahad Butt about 12 years ago
15 cm width for children?
JiPé about 12 years ago
Is PLA thermoplastic or thermoset?
Fahad Butt almost 12 years ago
The maximum print size is about 120mm cubed,
Fahad Butt almost 12 years ago
actually 120 x 120 x 110 mm (x,y,z)
Matthew Stonebraker almost 12 years ago
JiPé, PLA is a thermoplastic.
Tan Teck Wee almost 12 years ago
Can I request more information on the lens? Material? Thickness? Is the lens flat? Laser cut? Thanks.
JiPé almost 12 years ago
TY Matthew
Matthew Hayto almost 12 years ago
@Fahad Rafi, we'll be using a Makerbot Replicator 2, which can build up to 284 x 152 x 155mm (11.2” L x 6.0” W x 6.1”H). This should fit a 150mm frame component without much trouble.
@Tan Teck Wee, we are currently considering polycarbonate lenses, which will be laser cut to the shape of the frame. Once submissions are received and prototyped, we will be able to give feedback on any minor changes that can be made to improve lens performance. If you have spare lenses accessible, It may be helpful to design around these. Lenses can be flat or curved.
Tan Teck Wee almost 12 years ago
Thanks for the info about the lens. FWIW, 150mm width is way too big for children. I wear spectacles and mine is about 150mm. I'm also a pretty full-grown adult with a rather large head. ;)
Normal spectacles also have almost equal length for the temple length and frame width.
mehdi barikani almost 12 years ago
Can I submit more designs?
Sara Sigel almost 12 years ago
@Mehdi Multiple designs are accepted, so go crazy :)
Matthew Hayto almost 12 years ago
Hi everyone,
We wanted to thank you all for these great designs - we're overwhelmed with some of the creativity that we're seeing, and there's still a few days to go! For those of you still working, we're noticing a couple trends:
- We've seen some great snap-in hinges. This is tough to get right, but is often a very reliable hinge for glasses, since our filament isn't the most flexible, so hinges have fared better than one-piece designs
- Since these will ultimately be printed onsite, we're looking for the simplest, easiest designs to print. This generally involves flat components that don't need Makerbot's supports to print properly - seen a lot of good ones already.
Thanks again, and happy designing!
- The Dreambox Emergence Team
Konrad Jakubiak almost 12 years ago
small supports (for hinges) will be added automatically when needed? Or what is the maximal overhang we can usev
Manuel Bayonas almost 12 years ago
The rules say "We will release the winners before the final announcement to give the Community an opportunity to "vote" for their favorites in the comments"
I think that it would be great for the GrabCad Community if you include some comments about what made you choose those models.
Sara Sigel almost 12 years ago
@Manuel Thanks, we will!
375Designs almost 12 years ago
Out of the finalists, our favourites are:
My SunGlasses Project they are quite aesthetically sound for childrens glasses and
Print and snap that snap-in design looks perfect.
Branko Stokuca almost 12 years ago
Congrats to everyone.
Konrad Jakubiak almost 12 years ago
Congrats!
It would be great to read from the judges some technical feedback also, so we could all learn something. I dont have 3dprinter so I don't have a clue how it functions after printed.
Maybe judges can do some video with quickly showing some printed frames and giving some hints? We could see what what did actually work, frames and hinges. What did not printed welvx
Tomek F. almost 12 years ago
Congrats to all
Fahad Butt almost 12 years ago
congratulations!
Manuel Bayonas almost 12 years ago
@Konrad That's exactly what I was expecting when @Sara said that they will include comments about the selected models, but for now they only said a few things. I really think that the people here should start serious discussions about the work. I am convinced that's the best way to learn from each other. I hope this becomes a real objective of this Community, besides of sharing our work.
Manuel Bayonas almost 12 years ago
@Pinfor I agree with you, and think that the flexible materials should be applied on this kind of product. The impact absorption of flexible materials are safer in this case, but it will increase the unit price since the flexible materials for 3D printing are relatively new and more expensive.
Tan Teck Wee almost 12 years ago
Wasn't the deadline for the announcement of this challenge over?
Sara Sigel almost 12 years ago
Winners are announced and Dreambox Emergence wrote up some more information on how the designs printed out on our blog. Congrats to all winners! You can read their blog here: http://blog.grabcad.com/2014/01/3d4d-dreambox-emergence-3d-printed-sunglasses-kids/
Stephen Nyberg almost 12 years ago
Congratulations everyone!
Anthony Yanoshik almost 12 years ago
Thank you for selecting my design. I am excited to see the impact that these glasses have in Nebaj. Congratulations to all other finalists.
Ivo Alberti almost 12 years ago
I too agree with Antonio Pinfor, I will not go over except to say that
In this case, the jury seemed to particularly worried + easy to get cha from prototyping to the welfare of children, as it gets to propose such a thing? No offense to anyone who has been declared the winner ...
Pinfor Team almost 12 years ago
Thank you, dear friend Ivo
http://blog.grabcad.com/2014/01/3d4d-dreambox-emergence-3d-printed-sunglasses-kids/#more-17211
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