Sophia Lindner from act'ble GmbH won first prize in the purmundus challenge with her innovative development "New Pointe Shoe Sole". The winners of the purmundus challenge were honoured yesterday at Formnext. Second prize went to Ramon Mañas, Odisei Music SL, for the Travel Sax, while Jamie Cook, Henry Neilson, Theo Clarkes, Mark Brown, Jess Lewis and George Jary from HEXR won third prize with the project "HEXR, the world's first 3D-printed custom-fitted bicycle helmet".
The finalists of this year's purmundus challenge, which took place in 2021 under the motto "Innovation in Progress", were presented during Formnext. The award-winning developments range from ballet shoes to 3D-printed musical instruments, bicycle helmets, heat exchangers and brake calipers.
Act'ble is a young company that has developed a new pointe shoe for classical ballet and contemporary dance in collaboration with top athletes It is said to last five times longer than conventional pointe shoes and drastically reduce physical pain. The patented concept of a 3D-printed sole in combination with the upper material creates new possibilities for movement and individual artistic expression.
Designed and manufactured in Barcelona, the Travel Sax is the smallest and lightest electronic saxophone in the world. The latest 3D printing technologies are used in the production of the saxophone, which is already played by 1,200 customers worldwide. The MIDI controller can work with both the smartphone and the PC. The position of the keys is modelled on a conventional saxophone; the volume is regulated by the pressure of the breath. The electronic saxophone can be practised without disturbing neighbours.
HEXR, according to its developers, is the world's first custom-fit 3D-printed bicycle helmet. The design of honeycomb structures combines comfort and safety. When the helmet is created, the head is scanned and measured using the specially developed app. The custom-fit design is then automatically generated on the server. The PA11-based material consists of 100 percent castor oil. The inner honeycomb structures and the smaller helmet components are 3D printed. The helmet is not only made to measure, but also personalised with the customer's engraving.
In addition, other special prizes were awarded at Formnext: The Special Mention was awarded to Dr Myriam Lingg, Lukas Schiller and Alec Chevrot (macu4 AG) for their Macu4 Forearm Prosthetics - breathable and customised prostheses for the forearm. The Innovation Prize was awarded to Pablo Valdivia y Alvarado, Narasimha Boddeti, Tien Van Truong, Vincent S. Joseph, Thileepan Stalin, Theo Calais, Shien Yang Lee and Martin L. Dunn (Bio-inspired Robotics and Design Laboratory - Singapore University of Technology and Design, Washington State University, University of Colorado Denver) for the project "Bespoke 3D Printed Soft Robots". The Audience Award went to Roberto Trunfio and his 3D printed juicer called Delijuice, made with filament from processed citrus fruit waste.
The Altair Simulation Driven Design Award 2021 went to Tommaso Tirelli, Aidro - Desktop Metal Company, and his Toucan Beak - a solution for efficient 3D printed lightweight heat exchangers. Aschraf Danun, Michael Wehrli, Remo Elmiger, Ole Müller, Tiago Ogris, Tom Felder and Prof. Mirko Meboldt from ETH Zurich - Product Development Group Zurich were awarded the Newcomer Prize for the development of a 3D-printed brake caliper including function integration.
In a festive award ceremony on the Thursday of the Formnext trade fair, the winners received the purmundus challenge trophy and prizes worth a total of 30,000 euros.