I am Michihiro Hayashi, advisor for the Design & Fabrication Club. This year, as part of the summer vacation assignment, students worked on 3D CAD modeling. The theme was “Things to Take on an Outing”. There were more than 30 submissions from 1st and 2nd year students. The submissions covered a wide range of genres—if you took all of them on a trip, it would surely be a fun and convenient excursion! After careful evaluation by the judges, four outstanding entries were selected for awards.
 Let’s take a closer look at the award-winning pieces.

2nd year student Madoka Nakazawa: My Smartphone

 Although the geometric shape of a smartphone is simple, this model is highly decorated. Using a combination of arcs and straight lines, the student skillfully recreated a cute character. The bead strap is well represented, and even the shining sun—usually difficult to model in CAD—was given a hand-drawn look. The cracked screen detail was an impressive touch.

Comment from Madoka 
Production time: Worked a little each day, about a week in total.
Focus points: Paid attention to details like the camera lens area and the character’s facial expression. The cracked screen is definitely the highlight.

 

 

1st year student Taiki Sasaki: My Glasses

 This model of eyeglasses is extremely realistic—almost like something from an optical shop catalog. Not only the overall shape, but also the rims, bridge, end pieces, nose pads, hinges, and temples were faithfully reproduced. Even the complex curved surfaces were carefully modeled. Wearing these glasses might make you feel smarter—perhaps reflecting the creator’s intention.

Comment from Taiki 
Production time: About 6 hours.
Focus points: Closely observed my own glasses, especially the three-dimensional feel of the rims that hold the lenses.

1st year student Reo Sakai: My Lantern

 The overall shape is well balanced, and the model includes functional details such as the mechanism for lighting and extinguishing the lantern, the fuel compartment, and the screw-on lid. These were created so their functions could be explained clearly. If the flickering flame inside a dim tent were rendered in CG, it would make a stunning video—possibly even a top entry in a CG contest.

Comment from Reo 
Production time: Worked 2–3 hours a day for 2–3 days.
Focus points: Paid attention to texture settings and the screw shape of the lid. The lid could probably be 3D printed and used in real life.

 

 

1st year student Hiroki Yatsuo: My Bag

 This piece features many curved surfaces, which are difficult to model, yet they are well balanced. Details such as zippers and metal buckles were carefully crafted. Modeling the parts where the belt passes through the buckle and attaches to the bag required complex operations. There were likely many functions and techniques not taught in class, so the student must have researched and learned independently—a valuable experience for future projects. If the belt were bent three-dimensionally (with depth), the model would look even more realistic, so I encourage trying that next time.

Comment from Hiroki 
Production time: Worked a little each day, about 3–4 days in total.
Focus points: Focused on the curved zipper and the shape of the belt buckle.

 Although I only introduced the award-winning works, the other submissions were also excellent. Since the theme was “Things to Take on an Outing,” many students modeled bags, glasses, smartphones, and portable batteries. Interestingly, international students chose to model knives, perhaps reflecting humanity’s innate survival instincts and the usefulness of such tools in nature.
 I plan to continue this contest next year and look forward to seeing even greater improvements in students’ 3D CAD skills.

Michihiro Hayashi