Contest 3Drag/K8200

Trying to figure out what kind of cool stuff you can create with a 3D printer it’s not always easy if you just look to a magazine talking about it or hosting an advertising page: to fully understand what a 3D printer can do for you, you need to start printing.

No coincidence that those who can “get their hands on” one of these objects, continue to print, print, print… forever. Seeing physical objects growing layer by layer, that objects you just finished drawing it’s a great feeling: maybe that piece will help you build a more complex product, or simply a unique thing that no one else has – being it a vase, a lamp or a pen holder.

And with time and experience, objects will look better and better: thus you’ll have the curiosity to experiment with new materials or maybe to take advantage of the mechanics of a 3D printer to create a CNC machine, as we did, or all that you mind suggests. Sharing with the others your own works will be the final joy.

Why then, we wondered, do not give the opportunity to make known your changes, why not encourage our users to do something that rewards the most talented ones and is a stimulus for all the others?

Thus here is this 3Drag Competition, reserved for those who possess a 3Drag or a Velleman K8200 3D printer (based on the same design).
Nowadays it’s plenty of this machines: in fact, thanks to the collaboration with Velleman, the 3Drag (recoded as K8200) had a widespread distribution throughout the world, spreading among students, hobbyists, new artisans, creating new skills and new job opportunities.

The competition is intended to reward both people more gifted in technical/design, and those with artistic talent who, with their experience, are able to obtain from the files available on the Internet, objects that are perfect from an architectural, design or creativity point of view.

THE CONTEST

We have identified three categories to allow each participant to give the best. The three categories are :

1. 3D hacking – you hack the 3D printer to do more than the original one
2. Usefulness and Creativity – you use the 3D printer to solve everyday problems
3. Design and Arts – you 3Dprint the beauty of your creativity

In the first, our jury will evaluate the technical changes of mechanical or electronic type that have been made to the printer; they may be simple changes to increase the performance of the 3D printer or radical changes to rework/redesign/integrate a specific function: can you print chocolate with a new extruder?! You hacked the 3Dprinter to be used as a CNC? Great: that’s what we are looking for.

In the second context we will we will evaluate the functional use value of the object that you conceived, designed and printed. In principle, the design must be original but also projects that significant variations of files and proposals available on the Internet will be accepted.

In the third category we’ll assess artistic prints and design objects, which will be awarded for the aesthetic qualities. The objects can also be “processed” after printing, like polished or painted, as long as the photos of the various steps are made available. Even in this case, the objects that you created and sent must be absolutely original.

At the end of the contest all the works received will be made available online and the files can be downloaded freely by all readers so we expect you to use a common CC-BY-SA license that will allow you to be attributed and will ask to the user to use the same license as you.

PRIZE

To encourage the participation of as many people as possible, we decided to raffle three prestigious rewards. A winner for each category will be chosen by a jury.

The three winners will be rewarded with a voucher to be spent on our store of the value of € 500 each, free shipping.

Velleman has also provided for the winners

1. First place: USB PC OSCILLOSCOPE AND SIGNAL GENERATOR [PCSU200]
2. Second place: EDUCATIONAL LCD OSCILLOSCOPE [EDU08]
3. Third place: EDUCATIONAL PC OSCILLOSCOPE KIT [EDU09]

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Each competitor is recommended to enroll in only one category to give the best in the chosen field. Files with photos, videos and documentation must be sent by April 30th, 2014 using the form below.

We will keep you updated on the evolution of the Contest.