DR Who-Sonic Design Competition (winners announced)

[jazzygeoffery]

Yep. You're good.

Thanks Orange_Blend! :thumbsup

 

[Sporak]

Man I thought I had missed it...till I saw it was 12 am Pacific time !!!

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Man I thought I had missed it...till I saw it was 12 am Pacific time !!!

15 minutes!

 

[Michael Bergeron]

It is now 12am and with that the entry period is CLOSED.

From here on in any new entries will not count and if any of the entry posts are edited those entries will be void (when you edit it leaves a time stamp so don't do it. You will be caught!).

Thank you all for entering! There are some fantastic sonics here, the judges will have a very hard time deciding!

My next task, which I will finish tomorrow, is to take all of the entries and put them into one LONG post for the judges to view them all side by side. I will then send them all a link to that post to make their judgements.

"How will they be judged?" You may ask. Well in the interest of transparency I'll tell you!

Each judge will be asked to give their top 5 sonics. their #1 will be worth 5 points, #2 worth 4 points, etc. I will then add up the points from all three judges and the top three will be our winners. In the case of a tie I will submit the tied sonics back to the judges for a determination.

I will then announce the winners here and send a PM to each of them to get them in touch with Rassilon for their prizes.

 

[greatwazoo42]

Now the pressure shifts from you creative people to us judges. There are so many fantastic entries and some really, really creative takes on my favorite prop that this is going to be really tough whittling it down to just five and in an order.

QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE: Under Pressure - YouTube

Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm and creativity!

 

[13doctorwho]

I hope that we will all get to see the final prop of whoevers sonic screwdriver gets selected. I love to sketches turn in to an actual prop or product.

Good luck to everyone!!

 

[Michael Bergeron]

I hope that we will all get to see the final prop of whoevers sonic screwdriver gets selected. I love to sketches turn in to an actual prop or product.

Good luck to everyone!!

It is my sincerest hope that Rassilon does a build thread on the winning sonic. I too would love to see that! :thumbsup

 

[Rassilon]

Dr Who custom sonic design competition has now closed, and it’s simply been outstanding with the diversity and imaginative skills of entries that have been submitted.

To the members who have participated ranging from old and new both with their entries in the competition and their participation and discussion: thank you all.

I would also like to thank RPF.com for being a partner in this competition and supporting it along the way. To Orange_blend as the thread administrator for keeping it in such good shape and keeping it real. Last but by no means the least, the competition judges, rubbertoe, greatwazoo42, Cyberman for taken on a very tough roll; sure am glad I am not you guys.

It is my sincerest hope that Rassilon does a build thread on the winning sonic. I too would love to see that! :thumbsup

Turning a concept art drawing into real engineering manufacturing drawings is challenging enough, as you have mentioned orang_blend, to bring the winners sonic into reality my require some changes along the way, as I don’t have an endless supply of man hrs or it may simply be that it just comes down to the cost to manufacture certain parts, as there is a budget limit.

However a build thread of the winning sonic will show what it takes to do such work and may show some members what it takes to go from concept drawing to design drawings and through the issue of manufacturing a prototype.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Thanks for that Rassilon, looking forward to seeing what comes out of this!

Alright folks, I'm about to post the "Entry Posting" which includes all entries. After that I will forward the link to each judge along with judging instructions (as already mentioned in this thread).

I triple checked these but despite my avatar I *AM* human so please check your entry to make sure it's correct. I've put all entries into spoiler tags as some of the images are HUGE.

There are a lot of entries so please be patient with our judges. They have day jobs & lives outside of the forum so judging may not be complete for a week or more. I'll keep everyone posted.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Force Commander

Spoiler

Enjoy!

This design combines the Art Deco lines of classic science fiction with the look of the 2nd Doctor's recorder and a Dalek eye stalk. These are items in the Doctor's universe that he is well acquainted with and would have to draw design inspiration from.

13doctorwho

Spoiler

Alright here's my design.

Story: The 8th Doctor was on the planet Saurus IV when his Sonic Screwdriver was destroyed in a confrontation with the Sontarans. Taking the broken fragments of his sonic screwdriver he used the handle as the basis for constructing a new more advanced sonic screwdriver.

Design: My whole concept for designing this sonic screwdriver was to do a design that combined the classic sonic screwdriver with the 9th and 10th Doctor sonic screwdriver. It was meant to bridge the gap between the classic and new show. I took elements from both of them, but tried to make it look more primitive than the new series screwdriver. I also designed with the possibility of machining it in mind (with my mediocre skills).

Pobbrett

Spoiler

the closest to 3d modeling i've come is drawinga cube on paper with pencil so please excuse the old school approach.

a miniaturised Dalekanium case, powered by a warp star and a 90 degree rotating halo, ideally the warp star would be lit

justinaalt

Spoiler

First attempt at working in 3D so i added old school AutoCad drawing with better dimensions to it. My design was based off the 9th/10th doctor mainly because the design was just right to slide into everyday pockets without jabbing yourself on too many hooks or extra pieces. The main big change that i thought the screwdriver should have had was a better grip so it can slide the lever easy.

Organic Mechanic

Spoiler

For my submission, try though I might, I could not resist making an 8th Doctor "Time War" sonic. Cliche, I know, but I figure I can at least pretend it's canon...gotta love the untold story.

While I normally avoid Steampunk designs at all costs, this Sonic Screwdriver features brass and copper construction with a leather wrapped handle and an amber lighting scheme. This design, in my humble opinion, is the perfect marriage of modern and classic Sonic Screwdriver design presented in the Victorian/Industrial style of the Doctor who wields it.

Extending the Sonic from it's closed length of 5 3/4" to it's full length of 7 1/4" reveals the illuminated progressive power indicator strip on the 3/4" diameter handle. (More extension = more of the strip unblocked to reveal the internal lighting). The 1/4" illuminated bullet serves as the Sonic Lance portion of the tool.

Full set of Machine, Electrical & Assembly drawings available if needed.

tailgunner30uk

Spoiler

I thought I would have some fun, so I whipped this up over a couple of hours this evening.

This is a more simple less ostentatious design for the 11th Dr. In keeping with his desire to have a lower profile. The emitter crystal is buried deep inside the body of the screwdriver, with the beam passing through resonance and harmonic modification coils in the emitter head. power and focus are controlled by the slider mounted in the hand-grip.

It's main feature however is a chameleon circuit that allows it to assume the appearance of everyday objects from the world and time period that it is in.

The dimensions do not show up well so I will enter them here.
Total length 190.00mm
Handle length 82.00mm
Emitter head below taper 9.00mm diameter
Maximum diameter 27.00mm


Listen, I know that banging rocks together can be fun... But at least some of us have moved on from thinking that digital watches are cool..

NakedMoleRat

Spoiler

Alright here is mine! I don't have any fancy CG or autocad skills, so please accept my humble paint program entry!

The classic Whovians such as myself should be able to pick up on the points of inspiration.

On to the sonic itself. It belongs to the 13th incarnation of the Doctor. In his last life he has gotten a bit sentimental and wanted to explore more of his younger, 'classic' self!
The sonic has channes cut on three sides, which allows the slider to have the metal bars attached, so that, when pulled down, they open up the scherical head to expose the green 'crystal'.
The switch would be located at the base of the slider so that when the switch is pulled all the way back, it would ligt up the green srystal.
The end cap is threaded so that batery placement could be made.
The main metals are aluminum and copper, with brass greebles inside the clear plexi rod that serves as a neck.

I think the diagram explains everything else. Here it is closed and opened.

Cut Snake

Spoiler

Here is my entry.

When the button is press the emitter and emitter focal points light up.
Also the shielding (where focal points are located) retracts AND the emitter and gyro rotate.

The majority of the sonic is metal, with a wooden collar and clouded glass emitter.

Tomo742

Spoiler

Being an avid doctor who fan I decided to attempt creating my own, It's not very advanced because I do not have any modelling skills what so ever, I decided to use google sketchup because It was the easiest modeling program I know of thus far.

EDIT: Idea of the design:

The time lord is synced with this design and does not need to push a simple button when he needs to use it, he is so in tune, simply thinking about using it makes it hum.

The blue gem is a mini transporter that allows the time lord to teleport his screwdriver to him whenever he needs it, presuming it hasn't been destroyed and he's still in the same time as the screwdriver.

Length: 255mm
Handle: 116mm
Handle begining and end: 21mm
Top Gem (Green): 42mm
Top Gem Supports: 65mm
Bottom Gem (Blue): 34mm

Shyaporn

Spoiler

Beautiful summer's day? Naturally I should spend it inside designing a Mark VIII sonic screwdriver... :unsure

I wanted to evoke a sense that Gallifreyan and TARDIS design and technology went into the making of my sonic, as well as incorporate aspects of previous screwdrivers.

Beginning with the handle, which is hexagonal, based on the TARDIS console itself, since the old girl produced Eleven's Mark VII and possibly the previous models as well. It has the impression of the hex-circle walls of Ten and Eleven's TARDIS, as well as the station dividers of the Fourth Doctor's console. This leads to the acrylic tube within a tube, basically a miniature of the TARDIS console core from Ten's ship.

The collar, rings and upper shaft are a throwback to the Mark II-IV design, with the addition of rotating rings with finely engraved Gallifreyan numbers on them, for manually adjusting the sonic setting, though naturally this can also be done psychically, thanks to the Metebelis Crystal emitter (see below). Letter settings change dependent on whether the sonic is extended or not, and other spacey-wacy stuff.

Extending up through the collar and rings, and along the upper shaft are three, flat, metallic prongs which hold the emitter, which is a throwback to the Mark II-IV emitters, only turned horizontally. These prongs can extend an additional 20mm (approx), allowing the emitter a wider dispersion field, as well as a fun, "clacking" noise.

In the center of the emitter is a perfect, blue, sphere-cut, Metebelis Crystal, acquired by the Third Doctor on Metebelis III. It helps to power the sonic via fluon radiation and through it's natural ability to amplify the psychic power of it's holder. This also allows for neural interface with the sonic for those properly attuned with the device.

Practical Design Details:

I imagine either a laser diode or very powerful LED in the base of the sonic, which shines through the length of the entire hollow center structure and hits the Crystal in the emitter, which hopefully can be made of some translucent, refracting material so that the laser causes it to shine. It would be ideal if this light also illuminated the lower, clear "TARDIS CONSOLE" shaft. And if there's room for a speaker and sound chip for the accompanying sound effect, even better.

Around the electronics in the base/handle sits a spring-loaded mechanism, which should both move the "TARDIS Central Core" innards up through the clear tube of the lower shaft, and simultaneously extend the prongs, which should be attached to the top of the "TARDIS Central Core" inside the collar and rings section.

When retracted, the crystal should nest flush against what could be a rubber ring at the tip of the upper shaft.

Reference Material:

I've included a photo collage of various parts of the TARDIS, previous screwdrivers and other Doctor Who technology that served as source material for the design elements.

EDIT: Obviously, the overall length should read 250mm and 230mm for extended and retracted measurements respectively. As I think a 2.5 meter long screwdriver would be difficult to slide into one's pocket

NTBBCPD

Spoiler

Working in a secret lab in deepest, darkest Scarberia. The stranded Time lord endeavors to recreated his Sonic Screwdriver with only the technology of this time.....

Digging through his travel bag, which seems to be bigger on the inside, the traveler finds a capsule containing three Metabelis crystals within a fluon radiation shield.

The perfect resonance chamber, and like the earth mineral Quartz they can be used to create and control sonic energy. The added bonus is that crystals will give him a telepathic link to the screwdriver, quite handy when scanning.

Looking around the lab, there is plenty of electronics for him to choose from, and for some reason a box of old toys.....

I'm sure he can find a way to adapt this USB key....

And even a few pieces of plumbing pipe and this broken toy, with the string and ball missing may be of some use....

......................TIME MOVES ON..........................



Well time to see what progress has been made on the Traveler's Sonic.

It seems he has used the handle from the ball in cup toy and added a quick-release plumbing part to the end...

Looks like he even incorporated the standard contacts of a USE key into a circular adapter that will plug into an interface on a TARDIS console.

I check out the handle and I notice there is a twist, when you turn the outer shell of the handle you reveal three adjustable setting controls...

They seem to be for setting the Intensity, Frequency, and Harmonic discourse. They should cause some interesting effects in the right combinations.



......................It's been a few more hours and the sonic is finished!

These Timelords can be a touchy bunch. I asked him what the blue marble in the tuning forks did? and he replied, "The object held in the 'Emitter Clamps' is a pellet of Translucent Poly Chrominate"

Now I know that Poly Carbonate is a plastic call Lexan... and it turns out the blue...pellet... is a plastic/metal that has Piezoelectric properties. It can scan fields of many types and transfer the info to the rest of the screwdriver.

It can also send out jamming signals... or even build up quite the nasty little charge to zap things.

To prove his point he fried my I-phone and gave me a small boost of static electricity.

Not sure when/if my hair will settle down... or just fall out!!

Oh, and here's a drawing of the sonic with measurements. Enjoy!

Edward.

Firejetmanguy

Spoiler

I kinda suck with computers in general so I just drew my design on paper. My design takes hints from some things in the Whoniverse such as the time rotor and the claw-type design of the current sonic, as well as the thick-handled design of some of the classic sonics. Hoping for the best!

cboath

Spoiler

Well, here goes nothing. I knocked this out in an hour or so this afternoon because I don't think i'll have more time to work on it between now and 8/1 unfortunately.

This sonic is inspired by the secondary console room as seen during the Tom Baker era of Dr Who. I loved the wood and brass look of it, so as you can guess/see, this one is made of wood and brass.

As indicated on the drawings, not only is a button in the grip, but in the case of a real sonic (i.e. with sounds/flashing lights/etc) the different circles on the grip can also function as controls as well.

As to being double-ended - i've seen plenty of episodes where the doctor reverses the polarity of the sonic for one reason or another - in this case, he's got one of each from the beginning. Kind of like a multi-tip screwdriver.

BreadleyBear

Spoiler

I have gone for a design which combines the style that the Doctor has used previously with his sonic screwdrivers, and the power of the sonic screwdriver that was made for the 11th Doctor by the TARDIS. I think in terms of style it mainly borrows from the 10th Doctor's sonic, but the combination of the red and gold at front end was for nostalgia, as it reminds me of the 3rd Doctor's sonic.

The main colour is white, with a gold-plated back end and gold-plated claws. The claws are held in place by red connections. When the claws are pushed forward these connections are what bend the claws backward, causing them to open. As the claws are pushed forward the inside is revealed to be a metallic blue. The colours look pretty basic on the attached file but I imagine it would look much better on the finished product. I was originally going to use a blue LED but I think a green one would look like a more powerful light.

The claws at the front end help to direct the sonic vibrations towards specific targets, but when the red button on the handle is pressed it causes the claws to open for a broader range. The emitter is controlled by a button which can be pressed both forwards or backwards. Pressing it forwards would have a normal effect, while pressing it backwards would "reverse the polarity".

Just in case the dimensions aren't clear in the picture:

Length of handle - 100mm
Length of back end - 20mm
Length of front end - 35mm
Diameter - 28mm
Diameter of emitter - 9mm
Diameter of claws when closed - 62mm

There are loads of great entries in this competition so I'll feel slightly threatened, but I believe my design is well thought out so I hope I have a good chance.

Good luck to everyone else who has entered the competition, and to everyone planning on entering.

Mr McGoo

Spoiler

I'll try again
Here is my design. All thoughts welcome.

I've drawn some inspiration from various sonics, the activator from the Laser Screwdriver, and the emitter opener ring from River's sonic, and the spring loaded slide down emitter from the classic sonics. Inside a hollow plexi like tube is a black band like thing is supposed to be a spring, but I have limited drawing skills.:unsure

The spherical emitter would be to have a more open wave length, and the emitter pulled down to increase the output. Also has rechargable battery.

Cheers
Mr McGoo

cephalopodprods

Spoiler

So, finally done with that design, it took me about 2 full days of work on the course of a couple of weeks to complete. I made a painted concept art and blueprints that you can see below.

My design is a more modern take on the sonic screwdriver, hence the bright white and orange color scheme, precisely machined aluminium parts and overall feel.

In addition to the main emitter at the tip of the screwdriver I added another visible secondary emitter for alternative usages and features.

The thumb button and the removable battery cell are the only moveable pieces on the sonic. the battery cell could be made to accomodate real batteries for powering light and sound effects and the power monitoring leds on the battery cell would light up too.

The orange grip is made of tinted rubber, the main body and the other white painted parts would be machine din aluminium. The shiny metallic pieces will be chromed and the coil around the base of the central shaft will be winded from actual coated copper wire.

Hope you enjoy and be sure to look at the big pictures!
For the blueprints, the really big version in which you can actually see the measurements is the dropbox link at the very bottom of this post.

Really big blueprints

tullfan81

Spoiler

EDIT: Here goes nothing...

I'll start off at the emitter, I like the idea of claws on the current sonic, but I think 4 is too, many. This design has 3. There is a tube in the center of the claws and they do not open when the sonic emitter is extended. there are wires visible through the transparent tube which is hidden inside the handle when the sonic is not extended. I've always liked westerns and I love the dramatic flourishes the actors perform with their guns, River's sonic had a circular piece attached to it, but it was around the pinky when holding the sonic. I always thought that piece would be better served where the index finger rests, this design incorporates that idea so the holder would be able to perform a dramatic flourish a la western stars this places the thumb directly over the slider switch on the top side of the sonic. The slider switch will double as the activation button and when the sonic is not extended the light should (pending technological limitations) be red and the sonic should emit a low pitched hum. When the slider is moved forward, extending the emitter, the press of the button should produce a blue light and a higher pitched sound. (This is all, obviously dependent upon the limitations of technology and the interior dimensions) The main body has an oblong "cut-out" on each side with textures or two tone "ribs". Beyond that there is a ribbed section that would most likely serve as a break point for battery insertion. Some sort of battery level indicator would be great, a red/green LED somewhere in the tapered end piece.

Here are the pictures, they should be click-able thumbnails...

When I saw this contest posted, I put on the coffee (not literally, I don't touch the stuff) and decided to burn the midnight oil. I'm sorry I'm not the best artist, I did the absolute best I could on that front.



...END EDIT...

I only just saw this contest, I've been away for a while with the domain silliness and some real life stuff, but I desperately want to be part of this contest. I, however, have the artistic ability of a blind, deaf, mute with no thumbs. Is there any way my kindergarten level art will even be considered in this? I don't want to waste anyone's time, but I have a pretty sweet design. I can upload scans of the sad, sad drawings I've done and I can type up descriptions that will paint a much better picture than these hands ever could.

ArtySmartie

Spoiler

Here is my entry(I couldn't resist old school colouring!:confused).
Sorry about the weird colours behind the 'crystal' I drew something but didn't like it so I used tippex to 'erase' it. That tippex is now in the bin:angry. By the way, the ring sort thing twists for different settings. The wood bit has only one window thing. Apart from that everything is the same on the other side. And the shiny bits are metal. Oh, and there are two buttons. It's sort of Tennant-ish crossed with steampunk. More new series than classic series. Oh, I forgot to say the crystal is transparent. The story: the crystal is a shard of the largest White point star ever to fall to gallifrey. It is the power source of the sonic. That's it I guess. Good luck to everyone participating!:thumbsup

Loosewire

Spoiler

Hi Everyone,
this is my entry.

I did the basic design last year based around the fluted screwdriver-style handle. at the rear end of the handle is a loop for a lanyard so the doctor doesn't lose the sonic and at the rear on the opposite side to the button there is a removable brass hook to help with grip.

The thumb button incorporates the graphics in Jon Pertwee's opening titles and when pressed will turn on the electronics. In the stories, if it is pressed by an unrecognised appendage then it will send a homing beacon back to the TARDIS.

The 'cage' contains a sphere of dark energy which fires electrons through the neck and copper neck coils into the crystal in the emitter head which produces the correct frequency. There will be a dim light in the sphere which will come on when the button is pressed, possibly the sphere would revolve slowly if possible.

The neck in metallic silver and the copper wire coil is a reminiscent of Pertwee's sonic.

The emitter housing is also fluted for cooling and the blue beam passes through a tinted blue lens.
Thanks for reading, I hope you like it.

If anyone else is unsure of entering or waiting around then ENTER! JOIN IN AND HAVE FUN BUT DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE!!!

Muldwych

Spoiler

& here's my effort.... Please excuse the cut & paste (real cut & paste no less!) of the mock-up, but have no idea how to render it as a computer image, so produced this image via photos of tubes etc & cut/shaded it to (hopefully) work & give you a flavour of the finished version.

OK, whats it all about? Well, here goes...

Now, I've never been a fan of point & pretend... I mean think, Sonics. Even as a kid I got frustrated when Pertwee & Baker didn't have setting on the classic prop, so with mine hopefully I have rectified that.

There are two dials at the end of the Sonic, both with 6 settings (echoing the 6 sides of the console) that can be used in a variety of combinations. Maxim is 36 with neck retracted & another 36 with it extended. That's a whopping 72 settings!

The neck is spring loaded & released by a heavy touch of the button inside of the raised edged ID thumb panel. Normal pressure Switches the Sonic on in both modes. The button fits into the cradle of the panel so to look invisible.

The main body section is telescopic, if you pull it open it reveals a mini read-out, touch screen on one side, & a speaker grills with copper button on the other.



The speaker is for the communicator. In S6 the Doctor uses a gadget to talk to his companions a few times, I like this idea & have included in this Sonic. Something the 3rd Doctor could have done with in his UNIT days! to activate it, press the neck back into position, pull open the main body to reveal the speaker, extend the aerial, press the copper on/off button, turn the Sonic upside-down & talk into the Red emitter... & there you have it, a Sonic communicator!

To over-hear a transmission hold down the copper button for 3 seconds. Once the communicator is switched on, in either mode, the dials disconnect from their usual functions & can now be used to tune in & boost the Sonic's communicator frequency. (OK so make that 73 uses for the dials).

The Aerial: This is located under the 2nd dial. Pull it out for communication. In its extended mode it can perform a variety of tasks, such as when pressed against a safe, or computer it will download info or combinations. Or for a full medical scan, stick it in someone's ear. All of these downloads & reports are then transferred onto the mini screen inside the telescopic section, which is read landscape (not held up vertically like 11th Doctor does on his current model).

Now as the Dr likes to tinker with things, I have designed this sonic to come apart in 4 sections so he can add & upgrade sections whenever he likes (don't know how practical this would be in the real life tooling of the piece though).

Section one unscrews at the top collar, so he can change the neck & emitter. Section 2 unscrews at the main body before the mini speakers/LED screen & by unscrewing the brass ring, this releases the telescopic speaker/screen section. (to separate it from the copper ring it would have to be pushed through it). Section 3 unscrews at the copper ring to help release the tube as above. The final section is after the dials & this is were to small aerial is housed. On the diagram I have marked them as ABC&D.

Oh yeah one last thing on the functions, this Sonic Screwdriver also does not do wood!

The look is heavily influenced by the Classic Sonic & Anti-matter detector as seen in The Three Doctors. To complete the 'classic look', I imagine it as highly polished or a chrome type of finish, similar to the 2nd Drs Screwdriver. (See picture of my cobbled together build) However if you look closely you can see minor influences from all the versions of the Sonic to date. The dials echo the end section of 9&10th, the copper bits a nod to the 8th & the extension & readouts of 11th, but really this is the type of sonic that I'd like hence all the extra settings etc.

Various versions of this has been kicking about in my head for years now & this competition has finally got me off my butt & on to the drawing-board, so thanks for that.

Hope you all like it & if you have any questions please do ask!.

PoopaPapaPalps

Spoiler

I've always wanted to see a Sonic Screwdriver that actually looked like a screwdriver. So with that in mind, I went to cobble something of my own.

My favorite Sonic designs are Baker's and Smith's and, put it in with a regular screwdriver, I think this is something I could see a Doctor walk around with. If not, I'll gladly walk around with it.

I don't want to get into how it works and all that stuff; they don't do it in the show, so I won't do it here.

TheOldMan

Spoiler

Here Is my sonic
I did this in like an hour in photoshop.
For The colors the top light is hazel
the middle part is the colers of the matt smith sonic and the bottom is blue and grey.

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f...cepting-entries-sonic-1.jpg-105675d1343660676

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f...ng-entries-sonic1bottem.jpg-105676d1343660676

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f...ting-entries-sonic1open.jpg-105677d1343660676

Here Is my sonic with some rough coloring

This Sonic Is A mixture of the 11th sonic and my own idea

With Advance Technology It CAN work on wood!

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f...ng-entries-sonic1closed.jpg-105704d1343674298

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f...ting-entries-sonic1open.jpg-105706d1343674322

jazzygeoffery

Spoiler

Blast! I thought I'd be the first one to have a fluted handle on my sonic :behave

Here is my design, a combination of most of the doctor's sonics, and a screwdriver from Earth to keep it less conspicuous. Highlights of the design include the classic "Halo" from Mk II-IV, bullet-shaped emitter crystal (a combination of the Mk II-IV's and mMk V-VI's emitters), a neural relay/ scanner screen (because it always irritated me when the Doctors would get readings without a screen) The screen is visible in both closed and open positions. There are 4 buttons (design borrowed from River Song's screwdriver) around a cylindrical section of the handle, and the best part is... THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE MICRO BUTTONS FROM EARTH The Diamond knurling comes from the Eleventh Doctor's sonic, to aid the 12th in twisting the knob at the bottom.

One interesting feature is the the knob on the end acts as an acoustic resonator, and the emitter acts as an amplifier, so when the base is held to a surface, the sonic becomes sort of an electronic stethoscope :love

The sonic is aluminum with brass buttons, and a crackle finish on the section with buttons (please excuse the absence of one of my drawing :facepalm)

I'd like to thank Rubbertoe, Greatwazoo42, and Cyberman for holding this contest, and giving me, and everyone else to exercise their creativity, as well as Rassilon for giving us incentive :lol and Orange_Blend for moderating the contest
Good luck everyone!

P.S. The fluting on the handle, the "cage" over the scanner, and the emitter head should all be rotated together so that the screen is less obstructed, I just couldn't draw that

BlameItOnGreg

Spoiler

I've been lurking the RPF for awhile now; this contest got me to finally become a member. Design contests are always so cool!

Anyway, like a few of the others, I took inspiration from a good ol' trusty normal screwdriver with my design. That coupled with a mechanism idea I had.

• The diameter of the grip is 25 mm
• The diameter of the brass sphere is 20 mm
• The diameter of the cylinder that the fins and sliders are around is 11 mm
• The main octagonal shaft is 7.5 mm thick (side to side, not point to point).

A lot of why I like this design is because of its opening and closing movement, so I threw together a really rough animation so that you can get a sense of how the thing moves. The looping gif is in the spoiler tag below.

Spoiler

While the movement looks like it would call for intricate mechanics, it doesn't. The arms are simply hinged at the top, and there is a blue elastic band that pulls them all toward the center. When you extend the tip, the arms are pulled up and follow the curve of the sphere, which splays them out.

As far as materials go, I'm looking at an anodized aluminum look to the silver metal, brushed brass for the yellow metal, and an amber transparent resin/plastic for the grip. The other blue bit on there would just be 2 or 3 more elastic bands wrapped around that part.

jedibugs

Spoiler

Well, here's my just under the wire entry...

My goal was to create a sonic with design elements from both the tenth and eleventh Doctor Sonics, without feeling too derivative of either.

Further than that, I tried to keep in mind the true purpose of a sonic screwdriver (at least according to my DK Visual Dictionaries); as a multipurpose tool for diagnosing and servicing the TARDIS, including areas that would otherwise be unreachable in the depths of her inner-workings.

Up top, we've got an aluminum (aluminium, for those in more civilized countries) 4-strut cage design inspired by the 10, but which extends 3.5mm to reveal an inner core like the 11. When extended, the blue core is lit up, even if the Sonic is not activated (this is to simulate some sort of read-out, in keeping with Matt Smith's method of usage).
Below that is a brass section engraved with Gallifreyan text. (Operation instructions, perhaps? We may never know).
Below that is a button. For me, the inclusion of a button was more than just a real-world operational necessity; it's a very deliberate design choice. The modern Sonic Screwdrivers have been designed to not have an activation button. The button is for the actor's use, not the Doctor's. while I can accept psychic setting selection, I feel like he should still have to push a button to implement it. Because I feel that a buttonless device that's been manufactured by the TARDIS is contrary to the design of the TARDIS; she's a ship whose instruments are cobbled together and ramshackle. She's a time machine with a manual typewriter on her console! Thus: it only makes sense that the Sonic Screwdriver should have a manual aspect to it as well. Also, despite the fact that the modern Sonics are supposed to be buttonless, the button ends up on screen anyway, so why even try to hide it?
As we transition to copper, you'll see that the top of the handle section slopes down to where the button is. This allows the button to be found quickly. Further, the top section of the handle has a small gap before the rest of the handle... This was my nod to the classic design Sonic Screwdriver... Pulling back on the lip of the top ring pushes the top ring back toward the rest of the handle section and extends the sonic, which is spring-loaded.
Then the rest of the copper section is ridged for a better grip, and another nod to the design of the 10.
Below that are three settings rings with a ribbed edge (like a US quarter). These are for fine-tuning settings, which results in a sight pitch change when adjusted. These are aluminum or steel.
Below that is the end cap. It is black. It does not contain a pen.

Hope you guys like it and best of luck to everyone. There's a lot of really great stuff here.

***Edited because I forgot the brass collar around the central core. Added it in real quick

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Doctor49152

Spoiler

This is my entry into the competition

My rational behind this design was to make one end very tool like (somewhere between a drill head and a 4 jaw-chuck) and to make the other end very medical. With some steam-punky bits (the sonic Lance end with orange vacuum tube glow and heat-sinks) and retro 60's design (top emitter somewhat rocket ship or bomb shape) with a hint of modern design (the LEDs and grey rubber buttons).

In my search it became apparent that current medical devices seem to use light blue a lot. So I decided to use that for the handle portion.

There is no slide to the top emmiter. You have to pull it out and turn the head. I put the retro microphone grill-work into the head to tie into the 'sonic' part of the screwdriver.

the reason for the Left/Right activator button is simple 'Lefty Loosey, Righty tighty'. You have to be able to tell the sonic which way to turn


Link to large image

ok. I've made a few small tweaks. I made the neck simpler. I decided I didn't like the clear. I've also added some details to the prongs. Put in a location for a jumbo bright tri-color LED into the head. It would match the color of the selected mode.

I also changed the bottom to include 'glow-wire' and a red LED for the sonic lance effect. This actually could be a real burning laser if wanted.

I do electronics so I would be able to create the simple circuit for this sonic. Maybe even a femtoduino.

Link to Large Image

ok... here's my 'all in one' image

Link to Large Image

Sporak

Spoiler

Well here's my entry...
It is mainly brass with a wood paneled Midband.
Old style round slider knob...
Round Pearl End Finial.

The head is spiraled around red or green crystals.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Best wishes to all contestants. On a side note, it is refreshing to FINALLY have a sonic thread that didn't turn into a flame war! :thumbsup

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Best wishes to all contestants. On a side note, it is refreshing to FINALLY have a sonic thread that didn't turn into a flame war! :thumbsup

SHHHH! You'll jinx it! :behave :lol

That's the beauty of a "design your own" contest. Nobody can tell you the measurements are wrong.

Members can feel free to talk about the contest here, comment on designs, etc. while we wait for the judges. Just be nice.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Let's start a pool!

I got 10 RPF bucks on Doctor49152's design. There's something new but iconic about it. Any takers!?

 

[Michael Bergeron]

I'm gonna step in here right away and say no betting on the results! :lol

 

[rebelyell]

Wow! Those are all really impressive!

 

[Andrew Siegel]

Well dang it I missed out...I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to the boards every day. Nice job everyone, these are all really impressive. Any idea when another competition like this will come around?

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Well dang it I missed out...I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to the boards every day. Any idea when another competition like this will come around?

The idea is to get these types of contests to be a pretty regular thing eventually. There will be more!

 

[rubbertoe]

This is gonna be tricky!

 

[Rassilon]

Re: DR Who-Sonic Design Competition (accepting entries until 8/1/12)

Well dang it I missed out...I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to the boards every. Nice job everyone, these are all really impressive. Any idea when another competition like this will come around?

I may make this an annual competition. With my company as the sponsor ..

With last years winner appointed as one of the judges for next years competition.

 

[tailgunner30uk]

I may start polishing up my designs now, ready for it then