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

2004 First-Prize Winners

Enhanced Audio Communications for First Responders
Rick Kaufman, Etrema Products USA and Brian Smith, FeONIC PLC, United Kingdom
This audio system based on a patented sound reproduction device turns a safety helmet into an audio speaker, allowing first responders to more clearly hear any audio message delivered over the radio without earphones.

Eclock Eccentric Locking Fastener
Robert Flesher, Apogee Designs, Baltimore, MD
This invention can be used as a tamperproof fastener or where torque setting is critical. It incorporates a single-use torque-set feature, making tool calibration unnecessary.