The SimScalator — A Challenge You Didn’t Know About
The vision behind the SimScale platform is to make engineering simulation a standard tool in every designer’s and engineer’s software stack. Making sure that a SimScale user gets the simulation results he needs fast, reliable and robust is essential to achieve this.
We therefore use different quantitative and qualitative methods such as user surveys, user experience tests, forum discussions, product metrics tracking, user interviews etc. to constantly identify aspects of SimScale that should be improved to make our users more successful.
One method that might be a bit more exotic is “the SimScalator” — an internal competition that aims to encourage all the SimScale team members — especially the ones without an engineering background — to learn simulation through the free learning resources we provide on the website, perform a simulation on the SimScale platform and share their experiences and improvement suggestions with the rest of the team.
Besides the good feeling that their work and feedback help us to improve the user experience of the SimScale platform, the winners also receive a special trophy that they can keep on their desk for 4 weeks, until the next session of the SimScalator takes place and a new winner is proclaimed.
Previous Winners of the SimScalator
The SimScalator is a contest that enables us to have some fun while discovering UX improvement possibilities. So be prepared to enjoy yourself with the past winning simulations:
July — Particle Analysis in a Screw Conveyor
Richard Szöke-Schuller is our Senior Solid Mechanics Engineer and was the first winner of the SimScalator.
You’ve seen his project a few times before and might have even used it as template from the Public Projects. His project shows the mixing and moving of granular particles through a screw conveyor.
Richard winning the SimScalator
For his simulation and the list of improvement ideas, he was declared the first SimScalator winner, in July 2015.
August — Water Droplet Simulation
Bogdan Daqui Herrera is working as Senior Software Engineer at SimScale and he won the SimScalator in August last year after impressing the team with his multiphase simulation of a droplet hitting the water surface.
Bogdan winning the Simcalator
With his ideas for product improvements and an interesting simulation, he definitely deserved the SimScalator cup. Here you can see a video with his simulation.
September — Simulation of Sneezing in a Plane
In September, Kristina – Business Developer at SimScale – won the SimScalator for her passive scalar fluid flow simulation of a sneezing process within an aircraft.
Together with the simulation results, 3 very well thought-through UX-suggestions brought her the title.
Kristina winning the SimScalator
Watch a video with her simulation here.
October — CFD Analysis: Flushing a Toilet
As Product Management Director (and Co-Founder) with a background in FEA, Alexander Fischer chose to perform a simulation outside of his area of expertise, so he focused on CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). And because he’s also a funny guy, he simulated flushing a toilet.
As funny as the idea might seem though, this was a serious simulation: multiphase flow analysis focusing on the shear-stress on the inner toilet surface.
Alex winning the SimScalator
Next SimScalator Award Ceremony
After a few months of break, on Friday, March 18th, we will choose a new winner for the SimScalator. Keep yourself posted, great projects have already been submitted.
And with the new Community Plan, you will not only be able to see them in the Public Projects, but also to copy and use them for your own simulations projects.
Let the SimScalator begin!
