Vote for Your Favorite Entries

The 2026 contest is now closed for submissions, but you can still vote for your favorites. Voting is open through September 7. Here’s how.

Help build a better tomorrow

Since Tech Briefs magazine launched the Create the Future Design contest in 2002 to recognize and reward engineering innovation, over 16,000 design ideas have been submitted by engineers, students, and entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries. Join the innovators who dared to dream big by entering your ideas in our 2026 contest.

Read About All the 2025 Winning Inventions

Special Report spotlights the eight amazing winners in 2025 as well as honorable mentions in each category, plus the top ten most popular entries as voted by our community.

Click here to read more

Thank you from our Sponsors

“At COMSOL, we are very excited to recognize innovators and their important work this year. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the Create the Future Design Contest, which is an excellent platform for designers to showcase their ideas and products in front of a worldwide audience. Best of luck to all participants!”

— Bernt Nilsson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc.

“From our beginnings, Mouser has supported engineers, innovators and students. We are proud of our longstanding support for the Create the Future Design Contest and the many innovations it has inspired.”

— Kevin Hess, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Mouser Electronics

C. Nils Smith

Assistant Vice President - Southwest Research Institute
San Antonio, TX

Mr. Smith has accumulated significant experience in the design, development, and testing of electronic systems and in the management and development of related projects and programs.

He has had extensive experience with military, rugged commercial and commercial design requirements and in project, program, and administrative management.

His experience includes management of multi-million-dollar programs and acting as the Principal Investigator for Internal Research projects. He has managed programs involving analysis, research, development, production, testing, consulting, training, and field services, including site surveys, installation and check out, and calibration. He also led numerous QRC efforts. He is experienced with cost/schedule status control systems and other modern project management techniques involving technical performance, fiscal, schedule, personnel, documentation, logistics, reliability, maintainability, and security.