Creative challenge: students take 3D designs to the extreme in an innovative annual contest.(Knowledge & Career)(Company overview)

"There's a shortage of designers and engineers in the US today," laments Jon Cobb, vice president and general manager of 3D printing for Stratasys. It is among the primary reasons Cobb and his colleagues at The Dimension 3D Printing Group, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc. in Minneapolis, founded Extreme Redesign: The Ultimate 3D Printing Challenge, a global design and 3D printing contest for high school and college students.

The goal of Extreme Redesign is to spark student interest in the areas of design and engineering, Cobb explains. "Extreme Redesign aims to give students a taste of the kind of rewarding and exciting work they may be engaged in should they choose careers in these fields."

The annual contest also provides a forum for computer-aided design (CAD) students worldwide to showcase their creative talents, as well as resources to benefit their educational pursuit. Dimension rewards students with scholarships based on the creativity, usefulness, part integrity, and aesthetics of their designs, whether an improvement to an existing design, a new product design, or an original piece of art or architecture.

Skilled Students

Over Extreme Redesign's four years, thousands of students have submitted novel engineering designs, hundreds of which have been brought to life with a Dimension 3D printer. "We had another great turnout this year, with a large group of quality entries that varied widely in form and concept," says Cobb. The 2007 contest differed from previous years' events; the Dimension 3D Printing Group added a twist.

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In addition to high school-and college-level engineering challenges, the 2007 event included an "art and architecture challenge," open to both high school and university students. Also for the first time, the nine finalists' designs--three finalists from each of the three categories--are featured in short Web videos at dimensionprinting.com. Longer Web videos for the three winners, including on-location interviews with the students and instructors, are also offered online.