Gigaprize competition awards industrial 3D printers to worthy causes - Engineering.com

3D Printing

re:3D to donate one Gigabot large-format printer for every 100 printers sold.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been touted as having the potential to transform manufacturing for the better since the inception of 3D printing technology. Less remarked upon is the technology’s potential to do good for collectives and communities.

re:3D, a spinout from Engineers Without Borders – Johnson Space Center is a self-described, “group of explorers committed to eliminating the cost and scale barriers to industrial 3D printing” that’s working to address that gap. More specifically, the organization is aiming to highlight the prosocial benefits of 3D printing with its 2024 Gigaprize campaign.

For every hundred 3D printers the organization sells, it will donate one Gigabot large-format 3D printer to an individual or organization doing good in their community. Past winners include Brookwood in Georgetown, a community organization that provides vocational training to adults with disabilities, Magic Wheelchair, a nonprofit that creates 3D printed costumes for children in wheelchairs and OGRE Skin Designs, a company using 3D printing to prototype body armor for first responders.

Applicants are invited to submit a 3-minute video explaining how a Gigabot 4 3D printer would help them achieve their goals. According to re:3D, an external team of individuals “with a wide variety of experience and expertise” will judge the competition, evaluating entries based on originality and potential impact, feasibility and the “demonstrated drive” of the applicant. Views and engagements on YouTube will also factor into the judges’ decision.

Submissions will be accepted until December 9th at 11:59PM CST, with the winner announced on New Year’s Day 2025. re:3D has also stated that, in lieu of a Gigabot 4, the winner may elect to receive store credit toward another 3D printer or print services.