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3. VEX IQ Challenge "Make It Real" CAD Engineering Challenge Sponsored by Autodesk®

Have you ever wanted a component for your robot that was not included in the kit of parts? Do you want to design and make something unique that sets you apart from your peers? Then the “Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge” is for you! Autodesk is sponsoring this challenge and giving you a chance to focus your passion for CAD and apply your skills to solve a real-world design issue.

In this challenge, you will use the same Autodesk 3D design software used by professionals to conceptualize and model a new part for a robot that improves its functionality or overcomes an existing problem. The new part must be designed to fit an existing robot and may consist of multiple pieces that form one part design. The robot may be a competition robot (VEX, FIRST, BEST, PLTW, SkillsUSA, TSA, etc.) or another robot that performs an interesting task.

To help you succeed, access to Autodesk software is available at no charge to students. In the Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge, you must use either Autodesk® Fusion 360™, Autodesk® Inventor®, or Tinkercad™ to model your custom robot part. Whether you’ve used the software before or are brand new to CAD, the Autodesk Design Academy provides lessons and video tutorials for all skill levels.

To get started, carefully read the complete challenge requirements on this page. Then visit the Autodesk Design Academy challenge page to download software, watch tutorials and learn how to create custom parts. When you’re ready, return to this page to submit your entry.

The future is yours to design, and we can’t wait to see how you change the world!

 

Prizes

All participants with eligible entries will be able to join the Autodesk Education Expert Network, which allows you to showcase your work with industry professionals, among other benefits.

Prizes will be awarded to the top scoring entry in two divisions – VEX IQ Challenge Elementary and VEX IQ Challenge Middle School.  

Each winner will receive:

• Automatic team qualification for this season's VEX Robotics World Championship! 
• $400 vexrobotics.com gift certificate

Eligibility

• Entrant grade range: Elementary school, middle school
• VEX Robotics Competition team requirement: The team submitting the entry must be registered in the current season's VIQC program.
• Entries submitted in previous years’ Online Challenges are not eligible for submission this year.
• Only one entry is allowed per team. However, each team in a multi-team school or club program may enter this competition. For example, teams 123A and 123B could each submit a video, but team 123A could not submit two videos.

Requirements

Please note for this challenge, all submitted files will be hidden from the publc until the challenge closes. Files will be viewable to judges and admins.

These are the minimum requirements for this challenge. Failure to fulfill any of these requirements will result in your entry being disqualified from advancing to Finalist.

Basic Requirements (all entries)

• You must use Autodesk Fusion 360, Inventor and/or Tinkercad to design the new part.
  • Quickly get up to speed with learning resources provided for this challenge on the Autodesk Design Academy – learn to model YOUR way, from parametric, direct, to free form modeling. Visit https://academy.autodesk.com/vex-challenge.
• Show how this new part will be utilized by a complete robot. Note: you do not have to design the complete robot, just the custom part itself.
• Final Report (maximum length: 1000 words):
  • Brief introduction: Identify why you created the part – what functionality are you improving or what issue are you solving?
  • Explanation of how the new part would be used and how it fits into a complete robot design. Note: you do not have to design the complete robot, just the custom part itself.
  • Explanation of how you used Fusion 360, Inventor and/or Tinkercad to create your new part AND clearly state the version of software you used.
  • Brief conclusion: What did you learn from this project? Will you use 3D design software in the future? If so, what for? How does this software help you if you are on a competitive robotics team? Will learning 3D design software help you in your career path? If so, how?
• Include at least one image of your design:
  • One (1) final rendered image of your new part, or screen shot if using Tinkercad, LABELED with the software version you used to create it. REQUIRED FORMATS: we will accept JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and PDF only – all other formats are subject to disqualification.
  • NOTE: you may render your Tinkercad designs using Fusion 360 as well.
  • Optional: Additional images are highly encouraged, but not required. You may provide multiple angles of your new part, or an image of your complete robot design incorporating the new part, etc.
  • Optional: you may also submit videos, animations, simulations, etc. to help explain your design decisions and illustrate how your part will be utilized.
• Upload your complete CAD dataset
  • You must provide your CAD dataset at the time you post your submission.
  • You must upload your dataset to the Online Challenges site. Links to Google Drive or Dropbox are not permitted and may result in disqualification.
  • REQUIRED FORMATS: we will only accept the following formats – all other formats will be disqualified.
    • Fusion 360: .f3d
    • Inventor: .ipt or .iam
    • Tinkercad: .stl
• Upload the Final Report document and all supporting imagery, and datasets directly to this online challenge site (maximum file size: 200MB) during the submission process.  Google Drive or Dropbox links are not permitted.
• Previous online challenge entries are not allowed.

The “Judging Information” section below will provide additional guidance on how your project will be evaluated.

If you do not have access to a 3D printer, you may send your file to Shapeways or Sculpteo, or identify another local source that can provide this service, generally for a small fee (not reimbursed by Autodesk, VEX Robotics, or the REC Foundation).

• You must provide all Basic Requirements as stated above (Final Report, imagery and datasets) in addition to the following:
• Provide a minimum of one (1) image of your 3D printed part:
  • A photo of your 3D print (we want to see the physical object, not the digital rendering).
  • REQUIRED FORMATS: we will accept JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and PDF only – all other formats may not be eligible for the bonus prize.
• Upload your .stl file
  • You must provide your .stl file at the time you post your submission.
  • You must upload your .stl file to the Online Challenges site.  Links to Google Drive or Dropbox are not permitted and may result in disqualification.
• Optional: Additional images are encouraged, but not required. You may provide multiple angles of your 3D print, or an image of your actual robot incorporating the new 3D printed part, etc.
• Optional: you may also submit videos, animations, simulations, etc. showing your 3D printed part in action.
• Upload all Basic Requirements (Final Report document, imagery, datasets) and Bonus Prize Requirements (imagery and .stl file) directly to this online challenge site (maximum file size: 200MB) during the submission process.
• Previous online challenge entries are not allowed.

READ CAREFULLY: UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

• Instructions to begin:
  • Click the green Enter Challenge button on the right side of the screen.
  • Fill out the submission form, and type your text in the Full Description box according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Click Save.
• Instructions to upload your Final Report:
  • Either type your report in the Full Description box on the submission form, or upload a Word doc or PDF report:
  • Click the blue Files/Images button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Drag/Drop your Word doc or PDF report into the Upload a File box.
  • Be sure to edit the Display Name and file information according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Save your edits and click Update on the entry screen.
• Instructions to upload imagery/photos of your design:
  • Click the blue Files/Images button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Drag/Drop your photo file into the Upload a File box.
  • Be sure to edit the Display Name and file information according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Save your edits and click Update on the entry screen.
• Instructions to upload CAD datasets and .stl files:
  • Click the blue Files/Images button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Drag/Drop your files into the Upload a File box using only the formats outlined in the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Be sure to edit the Display Name and file information according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Save your edits and click Update on the entry screen.
• If you are including Optional videos or animations:
  • Click the blue Links/Videos button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Type in the Link URL, Title and Description.
  • Click Add Link.
• Your submission will now show when you click the blue All Entries button to view the challenge entries.

Judging Information

Judges will select ten finalists (5 Elementary and 5 Middle School) from the submitted entries and will take community voting results into account for tie-breaker only. The finalist submissions will then be judged by additional selected professionals including Autodesk engineers whose scores will be combined with the preliminary-round judges’ scores to determine the winners of this challenge.

Evaluation Criteria and Additional Information

•    New part design and function: How well does the new part meet the requirement of being useful in building robots? Does it improve functionality or solve the intended issue?

•    Is the part design efficient, simple, and elegant?

•    Does the design work show skill proficiency using Fusion, Inventor and/or Tinkercad? Is the software version clearly identified?

•    Written description: Judged on clarity, thoroughness, design process and description of use.

•    Overview images: Quality and thoroughness of the images.

•    CAD datasets and 3D printed files: are only the required formats of .ipt, .iam, .f3d, or .stl used?

Current time:
Thu, Oct 10, 2024 6:19 AM CDT

Opens:

Tue, Sep 1, 2020 9:00 AM CDT

Closes:

Thu, Dec 10, 2020 12:00 PM CST

Voting Ends:

Tue, Dec 15, 2020 12:00 PM CST

All Entries
View Finalists
View Winners