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MakerBot Thingiverse Names Winners of Math Manipulative Challenge

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 12/05/13

MakerBot has named three winners in its Thingiverse Math Manipulative Challenge.

According to a prepared statement, the contest was part of the company's launch of its MakerBot Academy, which aims "to put a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer in every school in the United States." More than 160 members of Thingiverse, a 3D design and printing community, submitted 3D prints for math manipulatives.

Each winner will receive MakerBot PLA filament, a Thingiverse t-shirt and have his or her designs displayed on Thingiverse and at MakerBot retail stores in New York, Boston, and Greenwich, CT. The first place winner will also be able to choose a classroom to receive a MakerBot Academy bundle, which includes "MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, three spools of MakerBot PLA Filament, and MakerCare," protection service.

Steve Wood, known on Thingiverse as Gyrobot, won first place with his Seesaw Maths design. The teaching aid is designed to help students practice adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division using a scale and counters.

Second place went to Bernie Solo – screen name SSW – for his Math Gear(s). The math manipulative, which aims to teach students about gear ratios, comes with a set of simple ratio exercises.

Christina Chun took third place with her Math Spinner Toy that lets students "mix and match numbers to build simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations." The print design can be manipulated to accommodate beginner and advanced math students.

To view the winning designs and find upcoming challenges, visit Thingiverse.com.