CSU Research Competition 2025 Biological and Agricultural Sciences trophy

The CSU Research Competition 2025 is a competition where graduate and undergraduate students will display research and compete. This page details the design process and specifications of the Biological and Agricultural Sciences trophy that was award.

The Planter Seed Pod takes the main point of the goals for both seed vaults and terrariums while removing their biggest issue; closed systems are hard to maintain and design in depth interaction for.

The idea for a Trophy made in nature's image came from enclosed terrariums. However, due to the required maintenance of such designs, we went with something that had more shelf life.

The problem at hand requires the team to design two trophies for the Agricultural and Biological research competition. A trophy representing both Agricultural and Biological must be sturdy and represent the aspects of those fields.

The following specifications absolutely must be met during production: the trophy will be transportable easily to the client’s home, staying within our budget. The final product must fit with 1 cubic foot of space and be able to pass Arcata Airport Security. The Trophy should be expected to survive the remainder of the client’s natural life span when placed on a shelf and moved infrequently.

Our first prototypes began with cardboard cut outs. This allowed for the team to visualize the complex unfolding pedal functions. Through this prototyping, we found just how difficult getting radial pedals to align in a closed position is. Once we were happy with the pedal count, and closing mechanisms, we moved to a AutoCad development phase. As seen below, the original CAD file was completely spherical. While beautiful, this had to be scrapped as it left no where for the hinges to latch onto each pedal.

• Prototype Gallery
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The Planter Seed Pod starts with a weighted base (to pre-empt top heaviness) with a removable stand that slots into the top to hold a potted plant (neither included). The base is both an intuitive place to grab and prime real estate for embellishment and graphic designs. On top of this base, but below the stand is the slices/petals/pod of the trophy. Each sprouts from the base with a positionable, articulated hinge set up that allows the trophy to be artistically arranged for mounting on a wall, a shelf, or a desk.

The trophy is built using the supplied STL file. This file will be printed with PLA eight times, once for each pedal. During construction, the pedals will be hinged to the base board, allowing for rotation. Finally, a specified size pot is added within the pedals enclosure.

• Material Costs
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  Material Costs

Minimal maintenance should be as follows

• Dusting
• Periodic re-application of danish oil or mineral spirits

If you feel so inclined to upgrade your trophy, here our are suggestions for where to start. Implant magnets into the sides of each petal so they sit consistently with their neighbors when in their respective upright positions. Swap the hinges out for ones with less play.

• James
• Geronimo
• Jacob