"This year's Digital Manufacturing Challenge seeks ways to address natural or man-made disasters-circumstances where our fellow human beings are made homeless," said an SME spokesperson. "For some, whether next door or halfway around the world, this is not an abstract concept but a present or future reality. How can our creativity and problem-solving skills bring aid and comfort to others in need? How can we amplify the human touch of first responders through products, components or systems that prepare for or respond/adapt quickly to severe and acute circumstances wrought by fire, wind, water or even war? Under such circumstances, 'creature comforts,' often taken for granted, may be few and far between in terms of distance and time and may be large or small."
Teams are challenged to address the needs of those in distress with individual products at scale or with small- or large-scale systems.
Consider one, some or all of the following:
1. Shelter (individual or multifamily)
- Adapting to the geographic site and conditions of the disaster with suitable tools and methods
- Reuse, restore, repurpose, recycle the wreckage/remains
- Include water/sanitation, electrical/communications, heating/cooling-whether independent and self-contained/self-sustaining or connected to existing, perhaps damaged infrastructure
- Perhaps such shelter and facilities should be mobile, modular, reconfigurable, able to be repurposed, upgradable, scalable, reproducible-transforming the way we relate to the planet and to each other creating the foundation for a community even more desirable than traditional, permanent shelter/housing?
- Consider food production/preparation/storage, clothing, transportation/logistics-a circular economy.
2. Medical supplies/devices/facilities, prioritizing the urgent/important needs over "nice to have" wants.
3. Manufacturing facilities as an economic engine of restoration and prosperity by and for all from mercantile to industrial scale.
The 2023 Digital Manufacturing Challenge is a call for action to inspire the next generation of engineers to think about ways to deploy engineering design and manufacturing solutions to strengthen the response, mitigation and/or prevention of such disruptive events and envision an optimistic view of robust, sustainable, smart-even agile communities.
Student designers and engineers are challenged to go beyond the classroom or laboratory and showcase their technical and commercial talents by demonstrating new and creative ways digital manufacturing can add value.
High school and undergraduate students are encouraged to prepare a submission. Tiers have been added to separate high school, undergraduate, and graduate student submissions, and a winner from each tier will be identified.
The deadline to submit a proposal is February 27, 2023.
For more information contact:
SME
1000 Town Center, Ste. 1910
Southfield, MI 48075
800-733-3976
students@sme.org
www.sme.org