Project Introduction
In the start of the 2026 new year, LINK PBC hosted a Design-a-thon challenge at University of Colorado, Boulder. Students from the University of Colorado and Metropolitan State University of Denver joined together to create five teams dedicated to designing accessories for a 3D printed Toddler Mobility Trainer (TMT), originally created by LINK PBC, Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), and MakeGood. These accessories, identified by the TOM community, aimed to improve device braking and play with TMT use. Final deliverables needed to address both areas of improvement in the form of a 3D printed prototype.
A 24-Hour Sprint
Five teams had 24 hours to research, ideate, and prototype their designs. Taking place at the CU Boulder Environmental Design studio, students had access to various prototyping materials and a suite of 3D printers donated to the event from Bambu printers.
Teams got to work using clay, paper, and cardboard to develop low-fidelity mockups of their concepts to communicate early ideas to LINK PBC representatives for feedback and guidance. From there, students used a CAD program of their choosing to build out their design and retrofit it into the current TMT 3D model. Since many users already have a TMT printed, any new accessories needed to leverage current geometry on the TMT for connections or minimize the number of “new” pieces needed to print. Additionally, students were encouraged to minimize off-the-shelf components and 3D printing as much as possible to reduce an added sourcing burden.
After 24 hours of continuous development, each team had ten minutes to walk through their process and show off their prototypes to a group of judges. Students presented both static and mechanical braking solutions, as well as a large range of play concepts like modular play tables, a full sandbox excavator and a drift handle.
Three student teams were recognized for their work in creating products that addressed the challenge criteria and user needs. Team APPA, a team consisting of four CU students and one metro student, took home the first-place trophy for their brake design, which raised the chair when not in motion to ease caregiver feedings, and their play table with modular art palate and steering wheel components. Congratulations Team APPA!
Team APPA, First Place 2026 Design-a-thon Winners
Continued Improvement
After the final presentations, Team APPA was invited back to the LINK PBC studio for a tour of the prototyping lab and to discuss additional feedback for their concept with the intent on submitting the design to the 2026 TOM Global Innovation Challenge. Our feedback was met with excitement and even more creative solutions from team APPA, which are qualities of great designers in the making.
Why this matters to LINK PBC
LINK PBC collaborated with TOM in previous years to design the Toddler Mobility Trainer (TMT), with the goal to create an open-source 3D printed mobility trainer for kids in need. When TOM released their TMT accessory prompt for this year’s Global Innovation Challenge, we saw it as a way to give back to a team producing a global impact and provide an opportunity to students to create thoughtful and empathetic products.
LINK PBC is committed to supporting the future generation of industrial designers, researchers, and engineers. We push to bring “Design for Good” challenges to local schools and communities as a part of our effort to donate a portion of annual hours towards reduced rate or pro-bono services.
Thank you
A special thank you to Jared Arp and Dean Bacalzo, Professors of Environmental Design at CU Boulder, for hosting the event and allowing us to use the incredible studio space, Bambu printers for providing the suite of 3D printers and filament used in this Design-a-thon, and the students from University of Colorado and Metropolitan State University who attended our first ever student Design-a-thon. Your creativity and collaboration were inspirational to watch.
