In March we launched the first Bricsys Student Design Challenge, to promote STEM and CAD in the next generation. The challenge: to design something that helps people stay connected without touch.
Over 70 students registered for the challenge this year! The designs were scrutinized by a panel of 4, international judges from different professions: a doctor, a BricsCAD product specialist, a robotics engineer and a technical illustrator.
The designers have shown great creative flair, concept design solutions, innovative ideas on how particularly they reflect our new world we live in today. The adaptability of concept industrial designer are surely looking at all possible criteria. The impact on our social behavior and how it affects our life style through this pandemic has surely set a new agender in the design world. -- Brian Rhoden, Judge
The Judging criteria:
- BricsCAD model quality
- Originality
- Complete concept
1st prize: YapTap
Designed by: Vaibhav Surendra
YapTap, is designed for people working from home. It gives coworkers a way to connect with each other on a personal level and talk about things other than work. Vaibhav was inspired to create YapTap after his father, told him the thing he missed most about office life was talking to his colleagues around the watercooler.
"The product is meant to have an emotional link with the user and emulate the water cooler" -- Vaibhav
The design is comprised of a speaker, microphone, and a large button. The idea is that you press the button to alert other colleagues that you are taking a break and they can join you at the virtual watercooler.
"The product is very simple to use, it has only one button on the product and has a companion
app. In the companion app you can set the duration for how long you will take breaks. In the app
you can also set different friend groups or circles which can be identified by different colors. For
example, if you have a friend circle with red color when someone in that group starts their
group, everyone's YapTap in that certain group glows red, and if you click on the button then,
you join them. The LED strip also acts like an hourglass for how much more time is left in your
break." -- Vaibhav
Our biggest luck with having the pandemic at this age is that we already have a huge communication network installed, the internet. I think using this existing communication network to build a device that emulates a face to face interaction from the pre-pandemic world is always a good idea to follow. -- Tolga Ozutgur, Judge
Why it was chosen
The judges found YapTap an innovative and complete project. Usability, branding and design had all been well considered. They felt that the design offered a great solution to the problem of isolation that many feel when working from home. They also enjoyed the way that it embraced modern technology as a way to recreate old-school interaction.
The BricsCAD model was clean, well constructed, and included materials.
2nd Prize: Make Live Action Great Again
Designed by: Aleksandre Kobeshavidze
This design gives people a way to interact in person, playing tabletop games without breaking quarantine rules.
"Before the pandemic, we had no idea how valuable and precious our live communication was. However, for now, there is no doubt that real meetings play a vital role in social life as well as in health and happiness...I want to ask a question: what is the thing which makes our live meetings funnier, prettier, and more emotional? And my answer is GAMES, especially live action games which involve talking, thinking, sharing emotions, etc." -- Aleksandre
"It has barriers, which allows us to play board games with our friends or family members totally safe. It includes a hexagonal table which is encased by clear plastic, also there are safety, medical elongated gloves which gives you the opportunity to move objects on the table without breaking pandemic rules. You will also find four sticks on the table, sticks are used to move objects which are far away." -- Aleksandre
Why it was chosen
This design focused on the need for human interaction, beyond digital. The judges also noted the versatility of the design, as it could be used by a number of different people and in a wide range of use cases.
I decided to pick this one instead of the other separator projects. The reason is that it also focuses on the need of socializing through playing a game. Having fun with friends is a huge thing we miss during the pandemic, and people often fail to focus on this problem while dealing with all the other problems created by the virus. -- Tolga Ozutgur, Judge
The BricCAD model was well constructed, with an eye for detail, and included materials.
3rd Prize: DDFC Disinfectant Dispenser Foot Controlled
Designed by: Thibo Praet
This design sought to put a new spin on a hand sanitizer that would allow you to disinfect your hands without touch.
"I'm kind of sick having to use my hands to use an alcoholic gel dispenser." -- Thibo
"At the top of the machine is the same kind of pump that's on a regular gel dispenser. I've made a part to direct the gel more to the center of the giant hole where someone is supposed to put their hands... The bottom of the regular dispenser is connected with a tube to a reservoir, which is accessible through a small trapdoor on the back of the DDFC." -- Thibo
Why it was chosen
The judges liked the "90s Sci-fi vibe" and thought it would translate well into a production-ready product.
It was a challenging model to create. Good to see that the mechanism was worked out in such detail. Also good use of BIM Compositions. -- Jacob De Sutter, Judge
The BricsCAD model was, well-made, interesting, and complex, with good use of BIM compositions and even a section plane!
The Judges
Many thanks to our four judges for taking part this year:
Tolga Ozuygur
Tolga OzuygurLecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University
Tolga builds experimental engineering projects by combining 3D design and printing, electronics, programming, and various other skills. He publishes his processes on his YouTube channel.
Brian Rhoden
Brian RhodenProfessional Technical Illustrator
Brian is very innovative. He is always researching various CAD file formats to improve usability for animation production.
Dr. Tom Lyford
Dr. Tom LyfordGeneral Practice Registrar
Tom finished his medical studies and is currently training as a general practitioner in rural NSW, Australia. He has special interests in emergency medicine and skin cancer medicine.
Jacob De Sutter
Jacob De SutterTechnical Sales Team Lead at Bricsys
Jacob has a background in architecture and engineering and a deep understanding of 3D modeling in BricsCAD
Disclaimer: Quotes have been edited for grammar and spelling.
