Design Contest: Unique Collaboration Between Zoybar Shapeways and Blender ArtMagazine

This collaboration represents the first hardware integration between a mass production product and mass customization of user made applications. Now you can design, and fabricate original electric guitars and hardware applications from your desktop without the need to own expensive machines and design softwares!

In order to promote Open Hardware/Software we have initiated a contest with the prize of two electric Zoybar guitars

along with the fabrication of the winning hardware design by Shapeways. Musicians, designers, animators - professionals and amateurs, are all invited to design original hardware features that can be incorporated with the Zoybar instruments.

For this challenge you don’t need to buy anything! Zoybar`s unique open R&D model provides access to both hardware and production files for further customizations and development by the end users themselves. Following our announcement on Innovation Journal (winter issue 2009) Zoybar`s 3D CAD production files are available to download for non commercial use and can be used to design new hardware features on many 3D modeling softwares like Blender.

Blender is a free 3D graphic software that can be used for modeling 3D Cad files (Computer Aided Design) and interactive applications including video games, animated film, or visual effects. Released as free software under the GNU General Public License.

The process is complete with the use of the online production service provided by Shapeways.

Shapeways is an online manufacturing platform for physical objects. Designers upload their design files to the Shapeways website, they print it and ship it to any destination you choose. Shapeways are using a technique called '3D Printing' which has proven itself as a high-quality production technique, but up to now has always been very expensive.

For more information about this contest visit: http://www.zoybar.net/The%20Zoybar-Blender-Shapeways-Challenge.html