Aug 23, 2016 | By Alec

It’s a very normal dream within the gaming community: to design your very own gaming PC. Even we here at 3ders.org are not entirely immune to its lure. Obviously the costs and effort involved are usually the reasons for postponing these plans, but a new design competition by Japanese 3D printing marketplace Rinkak might be the perfect opportunity to finally get started. Together with LEVEL∞ (level infinity), they are launching an international 3D design and 3D printing competition that challenges makers to design a custom 3D printable air vent for LEVEL∞’s customizable gaming PC. And that grand prize of half a million Yen ($5,000 USD) will go a long way towards your own custom gaming setup.

For those of you who’ve never heard of Rinkak, it could almost be called the Japanese Shapeways. Like Shapeways, it is an online marketplace that lets makers upload their 3D printable designs and sell them directly to consumers everywhere. Rinkak itself is run by the Tokyo-based startup Kabuku, which is also increasingly becoming known for being fantastic at raising funds from outside investors (raising $6.1 million in 2015). They are also working hard to increase Rinkak’s global presence, and they already launched a 3D design competition back in 2014 with a similar goal.

But while that 2014 competition was very open, this LEVEL∞ has just a single target. This company produces a line of high quality gaming PCs, and boast about being the only customizable PC provider in the world. But they are in need of a final and customizable touch for their PC exterior: a 3D printable air vent. “We are seeking ideas from all over the world, regardless of your skill level or the country you come from,” they say. “We look forward to your wide variety of fascinating ideas!”

There is thus one design target: an air vent that needs to fit these LEVEL∞ PCs. Both professional and amateur users are invited to submit their designs, with one million yen available in prizes. What’s more, the final design will also be sold through Rinkak’s website and in a number of other shops. Finally, all participants will be given a participation award.

So what are they looking for? All entries will be judged on a number of criteria, including the originality of the idea, the artistic or design quality of the entry, the extent to which it enables customization and the 3D printability of the design. You can go here for more information on the various 3D printing materials used by Rinkak.

But to make things more interesting and accommodate more design perspectives, the competition also features three different categories:

  • The Art Category, for designs born from artistic perspectives such as styling and fashion.
  • The Product Category, for entries relying on product design concepts such as convenience and functionality.
  • The 2D Graphic Category, for ideas born out of 2D perspectives, such as character and pattern designs.

A single entry can also be entered into multiple categories, while ideas that have participated in other contests or media are also acceptable. The winning designs will be selected by a jury featuring the cream of the Japanese design world, including architecture and environmental designer and President of Algorithm Design Lab Tamaho Shigemura, and Autodesk Fusion 360 Evangelist Yuji Fujimura.

If you’re interested in joining, you can download the 3D data for the basic outlet on the Rinkak competition webpage here, where you will also find all the rules and regulations for the competition. Entries can be submitted as of today, with the entry period ending on 23:59 Oct 18, 2016 (JST). The winners will be unveiled in November 2016.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Events

 

 

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