Ride for a cure

The Westpac Ride for a Cure is a cycling charity event dedicated to fundraising for cancer research. IBM was participating alongside its partners and wanted an innovative way to recognise their efforts as a team. Many of the riders had been impacted by cancer, so we concentrated on the network of support that helped each individual cyclist, no matter their capability level.

During the lead-up, a strong ‘team’ ethos was present - as one rider excelled, it inspired the collective to thrive. This was about team, not individual recognition. We had access to 46 individuals performance data and track topography data.

Inspired by the three-day event, we combined individual race data and AI to create ‘Better United’. A multi-dimensional 3D printed sculpture visualising the combined achievement of the riders.



To bring this to life, we partnered with artist, Andrew Yip. Race data from 46 riders was used in a 3D modeling engine to create, then print the sculpture using SLA and finish in a matte resin before assembly.

The main structure represents the distances travelled across the event, with contributions of each team etched within the design. Smaller motifs were organically formed using AI according to elevation and average speed data.