Changing the world in 48 hours? The design challenge is on

And they’re off. Leading engineers are going head to head in Manchester’s museum of science and industry, tasked with a two-day challenge to invent a product that will make a significant and positive impact on peoples’ lives.

What’s new is that they are using revolutionary 3D software, available free over the internet.

The Gift of Invention challenge pits five teams against the clock, led by the likes of Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio, and Jude Pullen from Dyson, armed with a mixture of pre-built components and some created by 3D printers.

The new tool is the latest thing in computer assisted design, allowing engineers to build models far more quickly than ever before, with technology which lets them adjust their concept faster and more accurately.

The idea behind the challenge, in the city that is credited with giving birth to the computer, is to generate enthusiasm in a new generation of young inventors, and show that engineering is no longer an exclusive and difficult career.

48 hours? It took me an hour and a half to invent my best idea. Trevor Baylis OBE

The engineers involved are no strangers to working fast – Dyson managed to create a prototype vacuum cleaner every day when he began working on the idea. For Trevor Baylis, two days is a luxury.

“48 hours? It took me an hour and a half to invent my best idea”, he said. He’s all in favour of making access to technology as wide and as cheap as possible. “Cost is important”, he has said. “We want the poorest of the poor to have an opportunity.”

The teams in Manchester are working with a variety of themes designed to have a positive impact on the world, such as accessibility to technology and sustainability.

Another team leader, Tien Pham, says his motivation is simple: human happiness.

For Jude Pullen, the thrill of the challenge is all about taking part. “We’ve got no idea what we’re going to end up designing, which is exciting. I like to be dropped in at the deep end”. And they’re certainly not short of material. Pham told his team “We’ve gone from 20 life-changing ideas to three”.

The company behind DesignSpark, RS Components, say it’s the first time such a sophisticated 3D tool has been available free of charge, and hope it will speed up the process of bringing innovative products onto the market.

Baylis, at least, is happy to credit the company for providing free software:

“They helped me bring my ideas to market thirty years ago, and now they’re helping a new generation of engineers.”

The whole 48 hour design challenge is being streamed live over the internet, and when it’s over, followers will have a week to vote for their favourite design on the designspark website.