In celebration of Leonardo da Vinci’s ingenuity that has fascinated the world for centuries, Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Lab has teamed up with “The Inventor” – a new animated film about Leonardo from Jim Capobianco, the Academy Award-nominated writer of the Pixar film “Ratatouille” – Foliascope and Château du Clos Lucé – Parc Leonardo da Vinci to launch a new “3D Design Challenge” to bring Leonardo’s drawings to life.

The challenge invites individuals to showcase their 3D skills by using Dassault Systèmes’ 3D digital applications – which have enabled the design and engineering of groundbreaking industrial innovations for 40 years – to digitally reconstruct an invention from Leonardo’s codices.

Five winners will be selected based on how closely the 3D model resembles the original drawing, how well the model articulates the movements intended by Leonardo in the corresponding sketch, and how easily the model could be 3D printed.  Each winner will receive a 3D-printed version of their model, and gain access to Dassault Systèmes’ xDesign application for one year.

The winning designs will also be featured in the upcoming “The Inventor” stop-motion animated film that follows the incredible journey of Leonardo in a humorous and inventive story for the whole family, voiced by Stephen Fry as Leonardo, Daisy Ridley as Princess Marguerite de Navarre, and Marion Cotillard as Louise de Savoy.

The 3D Design Challenge is being run fully online from February 12-April 15, 2021 in the Open Codex Community.  Since 2012, this community has been bringing together designers, engineers, makers, hobbyists, students, teachers and others to draw inspiration from the past and use the virtual world to link imagination with innovation through international challenges focused on recreating Leonardo’s inventions in 3D.

Participants in the 3D Design Challenge must choose one of the 10 codices listed in the community and use CATIA, SOLIDWORKS or xDesign applications to accurately create a 3D working model of the drawing in real-life dimensions, then submit their entry by posting an explanation of how the final design works and uploading the 3D model in the online community.  These applications, powered by Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, enable users to digitally create, test and optimize the structure, mechanics and system.

In line with the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab’s collective intelligence and cross-collaborative approach to strengthen society’s future of creation, participants are encouraged to interact with other designers, participants and fans of Leonardo in the community throughout the challenge.

For more information:

• 3D Design Challenge rules and FAQ:  https://3dexperiencelab.3ds.com/en/challenges/