PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company®,
today announced the winners of its “Redefining
Innovation Product Design Contest 2008.”
Launched around the globe, the contest asked designers to use PTC
Pro/ENGINEER® 3D parametric CAD/CAM/CAE
software to develop innovative, product-changing designs. The top three
winners showed a common vision with their submissions, to design or
redesign a product that can improve the way people play, live and work.
The Grand Prize was awarded to Scott Buckner of the United States,
designer of the Easy Oar system. This drop-in rowing rig was designed
for a canoe or other small craft to allow the oarsman to face forward in
the direction of travel. With no significant improvements to a forward
facing rowing system since the late 1800s, Scott’s
design goal was to overcome the awkward style of propelling a small boat
with oars while facing backwards.
Scott Buckner said he was delighted to be named as the Grand Prize Award
winner, explaining how Pro/ENGINEER helped him develop a more
sophisticated, but easy-to-use, rowing rig. “Pro/ENGINEER
reliability and powerful capabilities allowed me to design this system
without having to create a prototype at each step of the process. This
capability gave me more freedom to try multiple design styles without
the expense of multiple prototypes. I had great fun working with
Pro/ENGINEER.”
The Runner Up Award went to Benjamin Mahan of the United States,
designer of the Predator Facial Armor System Technology (FAST). This
redesigned facial armor system upgrades the ballistic coverage of
current U.S. military helmets to create an effective facial armor system
that can be used in conjunction with currently fielded helmets. Ben’s
design goal was to provide lightweight, maximum ballistic protection and
coverage while not degrading or inhibiting a soldier’s
peripheral vision.
The Second Place Award went to Koert Vanoverbeke of Belgium, designer of
the TNI Tellus Smart. Koert’s goal was to
provide a solution to people who are speech-impaired. The TNI Tellus
Smart is a compact, trendy-looking, hand-held communication device that
provides a graphical way to communicate. Powered by innovative
picture-driven software, users gain back the basic freedom of
communication by resuming contact with friends and family.
Robert Gremley, divisional vice president marketing, PTC, said, “It
is great to see so many innovative designers using PTC Pro/ENGINEER. The
power and design possibilities that PTC’s
software offers enabled this group of people to create the types of
products that can change a person’s life. The
diversity and sophistication of entries received from around the world
was astonishing. Every submission had great merit, but ultimately the
judges had to select the top three designs.”
The contest was sponsored by Manufacturing Business Technology.
The judging panel was comprised of six global members representing
media, industry analyst firms, universities and PTC/USER. PTC/USER is
the Independent Voice of PTC Customers Worldwide™.
Criteria used during the judging process included uniqueness of concept
and its approach to unmet customer needs, marketability of product, the
ability to manufacture the product and the ease of generating consumer
interest.
About PTC
PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC) provides leading product lifecycle management (PLM),
content management and dynamic publishing solutions to more than 50,000
organizations worldwide. PTC customers include the world's most
innovative companies in manufacturing, publishing, services, government
and life sciences industries. PTC is included in the S&P Midcap 400 and
Russell 2000 indices. For more information on PTC, please visit http://www.ptc.com.
PTC and its logo, The Product Development Company, Pro/ENGINEER,
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or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries.
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