A student design competition is a specific form of a
student competition relating to
design
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
. Design competitions can be technical or purely aesthetic. The objective of technical competitions is to introduce students to real-world
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
situations and to teach students project-management and fabrication techniques used in industry. Aesthetic competitions usually require art and design skills.
Both students and industry benefit from intercollegiate design competitions. Each competition allows students to apply the theories and information they have learning in the class room to real situations. Industry gains better prepared and more experienced engineers.
History
Through the 1970s only one competition of significance existed:
Mini Baja
Baja SAE is Collegiate Design Seriescompetition run by the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE International). Teams of students from universities all over the world design and build small off-road cars. The goal in Baja SAE is to ...
. Today, almost every field of engineering has several design competitions, which have extended from college down into high school (e.g.,
FIRST Robotics) and even younger grades (e.g.,
FIRST Lego League). The Society of Automotive Engineers organizes the largest design competitions, including Baja SAE,
Sunryce, and
Formula SAE.
Notable design competitions
* Civil engineering
**
Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race
The Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR) is an annual event that challenges the creativity of engineering students. The competition originated in 1974 and was created by Dr. S. H. Simmonds, president of the Alberta chapter of the Ameri ...
**
Concrete canoe
**
Steel bridge
* Mechanical engineering
**
Baja SAE
**
Basic Utility Vehicle
**
Formula SAE
**
Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC)
**
ASABE International 1/4 Scale Tractor Student Design Competition
*
Robotics Competitions
**
DARPA Grand Challenge
**
International Space Settlement Design Competition
**
NASA's Lunabotics Competition
**
RoboCup Soccer
* Multi-Disciplinary Competitions
*
Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge
See also
*
Student competition
*
University of Patras Formula Student Team - UoP Racing Team
Competitions
Student events