About the Contest

Contest History

Sponsors

Previous Winners

Press & Blogs

Contest History

The Create the Future Design Contest was launched in 2002 by the publishers of NASA Tech Briefs magazine to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. The annual event has attracted more than 8,000 product design ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs, and students worldwide. The contest's principal sponsors are COMSOL and Tech Briefs Media Group. See below for information about the sponsors' products for engineering design & analysis.

Category Sponsor

W. L. Gore & Associates
W. L. Gore & Associates has made its name by creating innovative, technology-driven products. The company’s 50-year history of innovation extends from surgical implants to the first waterproof, breathable fabric and from guitar strings to electronic cables used in space exploration. Today the company provides thousands of products that have set performance standards in diverse consumer, industrial, electronic, medical and surgical markets. And behind every product, and every application, you’ll find a steadfast commitment to performance and reliability.

Gore’s unique, team-based structure is perhaps as well-known as its innovative products. The company’s emphasis on direct communication, minimal barriers to creativity and sound decision making has proved to be good business. By design, Gore’s work environment encourages inventive thinking—the kind of inventive thinking that has generated thousands of valuable products and solutions. And because it encourages individual initiative and innovation, the company’s corporate culture fosters both associate satisfaction and product success.

A privately held enterprise whose annual sales exceed $3.2 billion, Gore today claims a manufacturing or sales presence in more than 30 countries and employs more than 10,000 associates around the world.
www.gore.com

Avnet, Inc.
Avnet is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, including connectors and semiconductors; technology solutions, computer products and embedded technology. Avnet connects the world's leading technology manufacturers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective value-added services and solutions.
www.avnet.com

Previous Winners

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

2012
Sensordrone: a Practical, Tricorder Like Platform for Consumers and Mobile Device Developers
Mark Wagner, Sensorcon, Buffalo, NY
Sensordrone is a multi-purpose, configurable sensor that dramatically extends the sensing capability of smartphones & tablets. It is a key Fob sized platform for both consumers and developers.

2011
?Screen Fast and Cheap Bacteria Detection
Monika Weber, New Haven, CT
?Screen is the needed MEMS rapid pathogen screener for food-borne illnesses. It has a potential to improve health standards at the consumer level by increasing sensitivity, keeping the cost down and testing time short.

2010
Rowheel Wheelchair Propulsion System
Salim Nasser, Merritt Island, FL
The Rowheel offers a fundamental difference in the approach to manual wheelchair propulsion in that it operates by means of a pulling/rowing motion as opposed to pushing.

2008
LifeBelt® CPR
Thomas Lach, Deca-Medics, Columbus, OH
Device makes it easy and safe for anyone to perform high-quality CPR compressions for extended periods of time.

2007
Litroenergy™, a New Light Source Material
Steve Stark, MPK Co., Champlin, MN
Can emit light continuously for more than 12 years without exposure to sunlight or other energy sources.

2006
Integrated Motor/Pump
David A. Torrey, Advanced Energy Conversion LLC, Malta, NY
Fluid pump design reduces parasitic losses in trucks/other vehicles, improves thermal performance of the electric motor through direct liquid cooling of the windings, and shrinks size by combining the motor and pump in a single housing.

2005
Low-Cost In-Vehicle Emergency Warning Device
Patrick Scholes, CPS Systems, Germantown, TN
A simple emergency beacon detector circuit interrupts a car’s audio system’s power when an emergency vehicle approaches, emitting a brief alarm signal to alert drivers and prevent collisions.

2004
Unitary Orthopedic Appliance
Leonard Duffy, Chittenden Research and Development, Hinesburg, VT
A unique interlocking fastener design with advantages over hook-and-loop systems enables orthopedic devices that can be easily removed, cleaned, and reused.

2003
OsteoSonic™ Noninvasive Bone and Joint Damage Detection Device
Michael Liebschner, Rice University, Houston, TX
This portable, battery-operated unit that fits in the palm of the hand can detect bony fractures and soft tissue damage, operating without radiation.

2002
Rotary Pinion Face Gear Set
Fred Vreeman, Orlando, FL
Low-friction gear set operates with high efficiency over the entire range of power transmission capability.