Engineers and homeowners encouraged to "hack" their refrigerator to create 3D-printed custom accessories in the FirstBuild™ and MakerBot® Thingiverse™ Icebox Challenge
BROOKLYN, Ny, and LOUISVILLE, Ky-November 4, 2014-MakerBot and GE FirstBuild™ are cooking up a chilling challenge-a Thingiverse™ Icebox Challenge! Some would say the refrigerator is the most important appliance in the kitchen. While the primary role of the household refrigerator has always been, and continues to be, to keep food and drinks cold, innovations such as 3D printing are making it possible to transform the appliance that is at the center of the kitchen into a customized appliance that better meets the needs of the homeowner.
The desire to customize has sparked FirstBuild, in collaboration with MakerBot, to introduce the FirstBuild Thingiverse Icebox Challenge , aimed at designing solutions that can be placed inside of the refrigerator. Ideas could range from purely 3D-printed pieces to battery-operated electromechanical devices. FirstBuild’s engineers have already gotten inspired about this Icebox Challenge and have designed test prints that include a 3D-printed pizza box holder, customizable to the size of the box and the shelves in the refrigerator, and a motorized 3D-printed wine chiller. The possibilities are endless! FirstBuild and MakerBot are excited to see what innovative ideas the public comes up with.
To qualify, designs must be uploaded to firstbuild.com between November 3 and November 23, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Entrants are also encouraged to upload their entries to thingiverse.com using the tag #IceBoxChallenge for a chance to be featured on the Thingiverse site. 3D-print testing, online community voting and judging will occur from November 27 to December 2, with the winner announced December 15.
What Can You Win?
- First place winner will choose between a MakerBot Replicator® Desktop 3D Printer or a MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer, and his or her creation will be featured on Thingiverse and displayed in MakerBot Retail Stores
- Second place winner will receive a MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, and his or her creation will be featured on Thingiverse and displayed in the MakerBot Retail Stores
- Third place will receive three spools of MakerBot Filament, a Thingiverse T-shirt, a FirstBuild T-shirt, and his or her creation will be featured on Thingiverse and displayed in MakerBot Retail Stores
Entry Requirements and Guidelines
- Visit the FirstBuild Challenge site to find more details
- Designs must be able to be printed in a MakerBot 3D Printer
- Participant must submit design entries to FirstBuild site
- Entrants are encouraged to upload their design to the Thingiverse site for a chance to be featured on the Thingiverse site
“Having the ability to 3D print custom accessories for your refrigerator is a really cool thing,” noted Jenny Lawton, acting CEO of MakerBot. “We have a very talented and creative Thingiverse community and a Challenge like this is just the sort of activity that can really showcase how 3D printing and Real-Time Prototyping on a MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer can transform the traditional design process.”
“We see the FirstBuild Thingiverse Icebox Challenge as a way to empower our customers to design accessories for their home appliances that fit their own lifestyle best,” noted Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Director of FirstBuild. “To be able to open up our innovation process to the public and have them tell us what accessories they would like in their refrigerator is pretty exciting.”
The FirstBuild Thingiverse Icebox Challenge runs November 3 through November 23. For additional information on MakerBot or Thingiverse, visit makerbot.com and/or thingiverse.com. For information on FirstBuild, visit firstbuild.com.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot has built the largest installed base of desktop 3D printers sold to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers. To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.
About FirstBuild
FirstBuild is a new model for designing, building and bringing home appliances to market. A partnership between GE Appliances and Local Motors, FirstBuild brings together an open community of industrial designers, engineers and other innovative minds to collaborate on new product designs that are rapidly brought to life at the FirstBuild Microfactory. For more information on how to get involved, visit FirstBuild.com.