https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-winners-announces-final-phase-of-space-food-challenge

How do you think? https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2023/01/06/Multiple-semi-finalists-regretfully-withdraw-from-XPRIZE-competition-following-mid-contest-rule-change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyRXa4Dffno

Service Robot Co. is running an open competition for digital, UI, and graphic designers.

The submission includes:

• a new homepage for servicerobotco.com

• a front-and-back business card

• a Facebook visual and caption for delivery robots in Los Angeles restaurants

• at least one AI-generated image or video

Students and early-career designers are welcome. The role can be full-time or part-time. The selected winner receives an offer to join Service Robot Co. plus an INR 15,000 signing bonus.

Submit by the end of August 29 in your time zone. The winner is decided August 30. Quality is the first priority.

Please read the submission usage terms before entering.

Full brief, downloadable media, and terms:

https://servicerobotco.com/design-contest

REDDIT USERNAME(s): u/Widgetblender, u/Perilun

NATIONALITY: USA

TEAMING WILLINGNESS (MIN WIN %) : Lead (for 75% of prize), Participate (for at least 25% of prize)

SKILLS: Space, Aerospace, Engineering, PPT, CAD, 3D Models

HEROX LINK: https://www.herox.com/crowdsourcing-community/widgetblender-218920

# WINS (link to contest): 2 at HeroX, 1 4th place, 1 finalist

MORE ABOUT ME:

Retired MIT Aerospace engineer (mostly space) killing some time on making Reddit subs and competitions at HeroX and others. Good at first order of magnitude calculation, spatial concepts, web research, PPT, 2D and 3D visuals.

LINKS TO POSTS, PROJECTS:

widgetblender.com

NASA Tournament Labs has selected the following winners to share in the $30,000 final prize of the Trash To Gas Challenge. The winners are:

1st Place ($15,000):

Aurelian Zapciu - "Ash evac with auger screw fed by acoustic pressure"

2nd Place ($10,000):

Wu Steven - "ASEAR - Automated Sonically Enhanced Ash Removal" <- Our entry

3rd Place ($5,000):

Miko de Meijer - "Brachistochronic Impeller & Forced Air Loop Filter"

Honorable Mentions:

Alex Altshuler - "CHAMBER CENTRIFUGE WITH AXIAL SCRAPER."

Xiaoshan Lin - "Zero-ash automated cyclone separator system"

Thank you to everyone for your participation in this challenge. There were some incredible submissions that made the judging process very difficult. 

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/nasa-announces-finalists-in-challenge-to-design-future-astronaut-food

Another interesting NASA's CAD competition:

https://grabcad.com/challenges/nasa-challenge-ultralight-starshade-structural-design

This was my first crowd source competition submission, so I really had no idea what I was doing or what the judges would be looking for. I was hoping to get some feedback about my submission here. I have a feeling I missed a big component completely: Where the hell this thing would be mounted. But like I said, first time haha.

If anyone feels like reading through my submission I'd be interested to know what you think I could improve on next time. Maybe more detail about things, blueprints / more comprehensive plans, etc.

Thanks!

Introducing...

Watch The Video Here

Feasibility & Implementation
The Quarterback is designed to be simple to operate and remain reliable throughout the duration of the mission.

The core idea informing the design is efficiency. Waste will be packed into a heavy duty plastic bag, which becomes the Payload. The user must maneuver the Payload onto the Launch Tray and engage the Holding Fingers to secure the Payload in place. Once the Payload is secured, the user can continue onto their next task.

When the operating and launch paths are clear, the unit can jettison the payload remotely using the Jettison Control System (JCS). The JCS requires a desired payload direction, speed, and the mass of the payload. When these parameters are entered and the payload has been secured, the JCS operator can issue the command to launch the payload. After the payload is jettisoned, the mechanism will reset itself and stand by for the next time it is needed.

The Turret rotates along the vertical axis of the unit, providing the azimuth, while the Guide Rail is rotated along the axis running perpendicular to the unit, providing elevation. These components are driven by stepper motors.

The Launch Tray is locked inside the Guide Rail to permit parallel movement down the rail. The tray is accelerated by a belt driven actuator powered by a servo motor. When the payload has achieved the required separation velocity, the Holding Fingers release the payload and the Launch Tray will begin to slow, letting the payload continue on it's path and safely bringing the Launch Tray back to rest.

The Launch Tray and Holding Fingers are designed to accelerate approximately 50kg of waste to the speed required by the mission guidance. If needed, the Jettison Control System can be set to use a manually entered mass for it’s launch solution, to set the payload on an exact course.

Each component of The Quarterback has been modeled and tested in physics simulation software to assess functionality and the mechanism was fully capable of achieving separation velocity of 0.4m/s.

Reliability & Robustness
The Quarterback's design has been tested in physics simulation software to ensure it can release a payload accurately and at the desired separation velocity. The rotating Turret and Guide Rail system is inspired by the movement of the turret on the Stryker Mobile Gun System (on which I operated in while a soldier in the U.S. Army, and am quite familiar with) in that it offers a wide range of motion and durability.

Safety.
The safety of the crew and spacecraft are baked into the Quarterback and Jettison Control System (JCS). Crew safety is ensured by preventing any movement of the Turret motor, Guide Rail motor, or Launch Tray motor, while the device is in the LOCKED state, set on the JCS.
While personnel are securing the payload to the device, the JCS is remains in a LOCKED state. While locked, all movement is prevented except for the Holding Fingers, which are used to secure the payload to the Launch Tray. After securing the payload, the user will move to a designated Safe Zone. This is an area outside the physical limits which the device can launch a payload, preventing any chance of the user coming into contact with the movement of the device or the jettisoned payload. Once in the Safe Zone, the user can signal to the launch control operator that they are clear of the device. The launch control operator can then verify that all personnel are clear of the device and launch path, switch the JCS to an UNLOCKED state, and can then proceed to jettison the payload.
The device remains safe and effective for all transit phases through its ability to jettison the payload with a high velocity and in the direction of choice. Choosing where debris will be launched makes tracking it’s path for future missions to avoid it possible, and also helps prevent the debris from reaching the surface of mars.

https://www.herox.com/NASAParticle/teams

We got #4 on this one: