3D Design & Laser Cutter Design Challenge

Students use 3D modeling and laser-cutting tools to create original, fully self-designed projects—ranging from artistic pieces to functional inventions. This challenge encourages creativity, engineering thinking, and mastery of digital design tools. Participants can freely explore themes while demonstrating precision, craftsmanship, and imaginative design.

Rules：

• Project Requirements

  1. Projects must include 3D printing, laser cutting, or a combination of both.

  2. All designs must be original and created solely by the student or student team.

  3. Pre-made or downloaded models (e.g., from Thingiverse) are not allowed unless they are significantly modified by the student(s).

  4. There is no size or volume limit for any project category.

• Software

  • Acceptable design software includes TinkerCAD, Fusion 360, Onshape, LaserMaker, or other equivalent programs.

• Submission Requirements

  1. All participants must submit clear photos of their final project before the event.

  2. Projects should be submitted under one of the following groups:

     • Scientific & Engineering × Holiday

       • Projects that combine science or engineering concepts with holiday themes
         (e.g., Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chinese New Year, etc.).

     • Creative Art & Design

       • Creative works such as decorations, architecture, structures, and artistic designs.

     • Design for Daily Life

       • Useful inventions or practical items designed for everyday use, such as desk organizers, home accessories, or small practical inventions.

     • Future Technology

       • Innovative designs such as future cars, spaceships, rovers, or advanced technology systems.

​​​​Judging Criteria:

1. Originality & Creativity 

   • How unique, imaginative, and original the design is.

   • Creative use of shapes, mechanisms, themes, or artistic ideas.​

2. Functionality & Practicality

   • How well the project works for its intended purpose.

   • For artistic projects, how clearly the theme or concept is expressed.

   • For Daily Life designs, how practical and helpful the invention is.

3. Technical Skill & Design Quality 

   • Quality of 3D modeling or laser cutting design:

     • Accuracy and precision

     • Complexity appropriate to grade level

     • Effective use of design tools and techniques

4. Presentation & Completeness 

   • How well the final project is presented in the submitted photos

   • Overall appearance and craftsmanship

   • Completeness of the design

   • Clarity of the submitted images

AI Chatbot Challenge

Students design an interactive chatbot that responds intelligently within a chosen topic or task. This challenge builds skills in AI thinking, logic, conversation design, and user experience. Participants showcase how clearly, safely, and creatively they can structure an AI agent that truly helps or engages users.

Rules：

1. Create an interactive chatbot that responds meaningfully within a specific topic or task chosen by the team.

2. Participants may use AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or similar block-based or simple scripting platforms.

3. The chatbot must show a clear and logical conversation flow, staying on topic and making sense to the user.

4. The chatbot must be safe, age-appropriate, and easy for users to understand.

5. Teams may provide their chatbot through a demo, short video, or screenshots during submission.

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Judging Criteria:

1. Relevance & Topic Focus

   • How well the chatbot responds to the chosen topic or task.

   • Does it offer meaningful and accurate answers?

2. Conversation Flow & Logic

   • How smooth, logical, and understandable the interaction is.

   • Does the chatbot follow the user’s input reasonably?

3. Creativity & Design 

   • How creative the idea, topic, and features are.

   • Does the chatbot show interesting personality, structure, or thinking?

4. Visual Appearance & Presentation 

   • Evaluation of the chatbot’s appearance, including:

     • Interface layout

     • Visual elements or design theme

     • How clearly the chatbot is presented (demo video, screenshots, or display). This checks how engaging and polished the overall presentation looks.

5. Completeness

   • ​​Whether the project is fully functional and clearly demonstrated.

   • Does the final submission show a complete, usable chatbot?

Innovation Competition

An open-ended category for original STEM or interdisciplinary inventions, where students present prototypes, design concepts, or research-based solutions. Participants articulate a real-world problem, propose an innovative idea, and communicate their design clearly through a product and poster. This competition encourages big-picture thinking, creativity, and practical problem-solving following global innovation standards.

Rules：

1. This is an open-ended category for original STEM or interdisciplinary projects.

2. Projects may include prototypes, design concepts, or research experiments.

3. Participants must clearly document the problem, idea, design process, and final outcome of their project.

4. The Innovators Challenge follows the official competition principles and guidelines of Invention Convention Worldwide (ICW) to ensure consistency, fairness, and high-quality innovation standards.

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Judging Criteria:

For all Innovators sub-categories, participants must prepare:

1. A physical product or prototype

2. A poster presentation explaining their process, findings, and design choices

    

Judging will be based on ICW-aligned criteria, evaluating creativity, innovation, impact, and clarity of communication.