Think Inside the IceBox: New MakerBot/FirstBuild 3D Printing Hackathon Slated for New York in June

Many would consider the refrigerator to be the center of the home. In many households, the slapping of the fridge door, open and shut, open and shut, can be heard countless times per day–so much so that it’s a wonder even the most well-made devices last as long as they do. As a venue for appealing eats and drinks, it also seems to be a popular arena for industrial and commercial design contests–especially in 3D printing.

While your refrigerator today may seem to hold great allure, designers are being invited by GE’s FirstBuild and MakerBot Thingiverse to build the refrigerator of tomorrow. Holding the ‘Think Inside the Box Hackathon’ at the MakerBot headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, on June 13 and 14, FirstBuild and MakerBot are inviting a wide range of innovators to contribute 3D printed inventions for the fridge of the future, GE’s ChillHub.

Registration is free, but it is limited, so if you are interested in signing up, keep that in mind. Small teams will be working together in this competition, and registration is open to anyone, including:

• 3D printing enthusiasts
• Educators
• Engineers
• Designers
• Inventors

This hackathon works on many levels as not only do those entering get to have an enriching experience, but they will be learning about what it means to create for the industrial designs of tomorrow, namely for GE’s new appliance called ChillHub. In turn, FirstBuild receives some great new ideas and products. This new smart refrigerator features USB connections, a wifi connection, and a plethora of amazing ‘space-age’ devices that they are already planning for, assisted with concepts from previous challenges like deodorizers, buttercaps, softeners, and more.

At the Hackathon, they will be focusing on making original design accessories for the Chillhub, using MakerBot Replicators, as well as having access to Raspberry Pi’s, via Seeed Studio–a progressive company that provides innovative and accessible technology geared toward makers. Winners can look forward to a variety of prizes, including taking home their very own 5th Generation MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers.

While they can look at current plans for the Chillhub, hackathon designers can look at impressive past innovations like the ‘Rad Reindeer,’ which we highlighted last year as a totally cool 3D printed multi-purpose tool that can stack, tilt, and act as double chip clip.

The whole idea in the designs is to make life more efficient for the homeowner and the smart user, as well, as we hope–smart eaters–who enjoy a whole new world of bells and whistles that make life easier–and let’s face it–just a whole lot of fun as well. These are, historically, very clever and sleek designs that seem so simple you wonder why you never thought of them before. We’ve also seen herb preservers, locking compartments for medicine, and other great items like cheese dispensers.

The hack-a-thon begins on Saturday, June 13 and runs from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. On the 14^th, teams present their projects, and winners are announced that afternoon.

The ‘Rad Reindeer’ from last year’s challenge, held in November.

The ‘Herb Preserver,’ also from last year’s November challenge.