General Questions
Will you be developing a version of the West Point Bridge Designer for the iPad (or iPhone, Android, Windows tablets, HTML5, etc.)?
We are always interested in taking the WPBD software to the next level. However our software development team currently consists of one person working in his spare time for no pay. If you think that new versions of the Bridge Designer are needed, we hope you’ll be part of the solution. We welcome corporate sponsorships, cash donations, and effort volunteered by expert programmers to advance the project. The Bridge Designer is Open Source software (check it out at http://sourceforge.net/
Is there a fee for entering the contest?
No.
Will this contest be offered every year?
We hope so. Our ability to run the contest depends entirely on our funding situation, which remains uncertain.
How is this contest funded?
The Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Contest is supported by a combination of private donations and funding from the Army Educational Outreach Program. Many thanks to our sponsors for their generous support.
Why does the contest not have separate prize categories for students of different grades or ages?
Offering separate prize categories for different grades or ages might seem like a simple thing to do; but, in practice, it would tremendously complicate the web-based registration and judging system we use to run the contest. It would create many complex issues with verification of eligibility and composition of teams. And it would cost a lot. Thus offering age categories is simply not feasible, given the limited resources we have available to run this contest.
Why is only the top team from each school shown on the Scoreboard?
In the past, it has been common for large numbers of teams from a single school to enter the contest with nearly identical designs. This practice tends to monopolize the Scoreboard, preventing other competitors from seeing how they stand in the Contest. This year, only the top team from any given school will be invited to participate in the Semi-Final Round. Thus, only the top team from any given school is listed on the Scoreboard.
How can I help publicize the contest?
On our Local Contest page, you will find a one-page flyer and a short article describing the Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Contest. Both documents are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. You may download these documents, make copies of them, and distribute them to others who might be interested in the contest.
