The first Immersive Design Challenge organized by Siemens Digital Industrial Software and Sony United has come to a successful conclusion. This competition attracted 900 participants from over 230 universities in 38 countries around the world, inspiring creativity, cultivating digital thinking and skills, exploring how to integrate sustainable design principles with immersive engineering technology, and envisioning the future engineering landscape.
Dora Smith, Senior Director of Future Workplace and Academic Development Strategy at Siemens Digital Industrial Software, said, "The Immersive Design Challenge has caused a strong response worldwide. Students from all over the world are using our micro certificates to conquer new fields. They are fully utilizing their rich creativity and critical thinking abilities to develop sustainable solutions and solve 'tricky problems' in areas such as food shortages, healthcare, and battery lifecycle management. Each team has gained valuable experience during the competition, and this practice will help them grow into the backbone of the future industry
38 countries, 230 universities, 900 participants
The first round of the competition focused on the contestants' works, creativity, and their understanding of immersive engineering. Select the top 40 shortlisted teams in the second round and use Siemens NX with the help of Siemens experts and mentors ™ The student version software completes creative development and visual presentation. In addition to learning and communication, all participants were awarded digital badges in recognition of their achievements.
The finals are live streamed online, showcasing the pinnacle of creativity and competition
Three teams from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia, and the University of Erlangen Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany ultimately advanced to the finals and, under the guidance of Siemens experts, used Siemens NX at the school ™ Immersive Designer software and Sony XR head mounted display bring creativity to life. In the online live broadcast of the competition, participants from three teams showcased their specific concepts to the audience, from immersive engineering digital twins of Formula Student racing cars, to simulation and visualization of lunar landers for horticulture, to innovative projects that improve the efficiency and performance of car battery recycling and reduce waste.
The judging panel, composed of Siemens representative Hirohito Henry Kondo, General Manager of New Content Creation Department at Sony XR Business Unit, and Paloma Diaz, Professor at Carlos III University in Madrid, Spain and Chair of the Global Engineering School Dean's Committee, conducted a comprehensive evaluation from four dimensions: technological innovation, commercial feasibility, sustainable impact, and mastery of Siemens NX Immersive Designer software and Sony XR head mounted displays. Finally, the "Best Creative Team" award was presented to NextCycle from FAU in Germany. The innovative concept proposed by the team, "BatteryTywin XR: Integrated Digital Twin for the Whole Life Cycle of Sustainable Electric Vehicle Batteries," left a deep impression on the jury. It not only fully demonstrated its outstanding technological creativity, but also made a commitment to sustainable development and practical impact.
In his acceptance speech, Suavi Yildirim, the team leader of NextCycle, said, "Participating in the challenge jointly organized by Siemens and Sony was a rewarding experience for our team. It not only inspired our team members to use creative thinking, but also allowed us to further collaborate efficiently. We would like to thank our Siemens mentor Buket Kurtulus, all members of the Siemens team, and the school for their unwavering support. The three teams that made it to the finals have demonstrated outstanding abilities, and we look forward to the opportunity to deepen our cooperation, continuously improve our solutions, and promote their industrial implementation in the future
NextCycle team members have been invited to attend the Siemens Realize LIVE user conference scheduled for later this year, while their alma mater FAU will receive a Sony XR head mounted display and a one-year license for NX Immersive Designer software.
The Immersive Design Challenge is initiated by Siemens Academic and Future Career Development teams.