2024 Contest Now Accepting Entries!
Submit your best new product ideas for a chance at $25,000, other great prizes, and global recognition. If you already are registered, log in to access the entry form. Otherwise, click here to get started.
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 15,000 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 today.
Read About Past Winners’ Success Stories
Special Report spotlights the eight top entries in 2023 as well as past winners whose ideas are now in the market, making a difference in the world.
Click here to read moreA ‘Create the Future’ Winner Featured on ‘Here’s an Idea’
Spinal cord injury affects 17,000 Americans and 700,000 people worldwide each year. A research team at NeuroPair, Inc. won the Grand Prize in the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest for a revolutionary approach to spinal cord repair. In this Here’s an Idea podcast episode, Dr. Johannes Dapprich, NeuroPair’s CEO and founder, discusses their groundbreaking approach that addresses a critical need in the medical field, offering a fast and minimally invasive solution to a long-standing problem.
Listen nowThank 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
contest
Contest
Hydrofirebreak is an innovative fire barrier system designed to protect vulnerable areas against forest and urban fires. This solution uses advanced technology that combines water elements and fire retardant materials to create an effective barrier that can prevent the spread of fire. The barrier is easy to install,
Cylinder Deactivation is a well-known automotive and diesel concept employed for decades to improve cylinder pumping losses and improve fuel economy. It does so by shutting off both fuel injection and valve motion to specified cylinders during light load conditions.
This concept was developed by an 11 year old boy who is diagnosed as Level 2 Asperger. I was partly homeschooling my son when we came across the 'Origin - Big Little Ideas' competition.
The Defense System is a comprehensive solution designed to address the challenge of mosquito control in outdoor environments. Through its innovative approach and advanced technology, Defense System offers an effective and sustainable response to this common problem.
Functionality:
The system relies on a network of strategically placed repellent towers,
Fresh water is very scarce in some regions of the World, especially in some desert areas like Africa and the Middle East, Developed Countries rely mostly on Water Desalination for human consumption.
This Project explains how to tow an Iceberg from Antarctica to the Middle East,
{ctf_votes:2024}
Anmol Agarwal
The Binary To Grey Code Convertor (Modified Version for Youth)
A D.I.Y Pull-back Micro Racer using Wind-up Spring
Muhammad Junaid Akhtar
Surgify Halo: A New Innovative Technology for Safer, Effective, and More Precise Bone Cutting
Gerald Barnett
Cryodynamic Ballast System
Jose Antonio Cano Gomez
Showermix: The Eco-Friendly Handheld Shower with Integrated Body Wash and Shampoo Dispenser
IBOTMART: Automated Basket Disinfection and Stacking for Supermarkets and Chain Stores
Aashish B Chaudhary
Interactive Robotic Dustbin for Kindergarten Classrooms - KINDERBIN
Miguel Chito Oliveras
Wise Doctor AI - Interactive Test Control and Medical Assistance System
Samar Choudhury
Port Cylinder Deactivation Technology
Ashley Crossman
Self-Cleaning Steam Toilet System: A Sustainable Approach to Bathroom Hygiene
Guido Danieli
ROSES - RObotic System for Endovascular Systems
Vivek Dawange
An Improved Thermal Management Design of Lithium Ion Battery Packs for Improved Performance and Safety
Juan De Rada San Martin
Pressurized Disinfection and Heating System for Storage Beds and Mattresses
Tunji John Erinle
Revolutionizing Pandemic Response: Parametric Design for Cost-Efficient Drone Solutions in COVID-19 Inspection and Monitoring
Chukwudi Ezebuilo
Design of Capless Main and Crank Journals of an I.C. Engine Featuring Active Liner Lubrication
Francisco Jose Fuertes Moreno
Safebly
Pranab Jyoti Ghosh
A New Kind of Wind Power Generation
Jacques Gilbert
Building Integrated Carbon Capture (BICC)
Brian Goodman
Bullet-Less Electromagnetic Field Pistol
Electromagnetic Field Sword
Andrei Gorelov
Promising Portable Missile System C-UAV
Stephen Griffin
Dual Use Laser Fiber: Surgical Intervention and Spectroscopy/Imaging
Michael Holihan
Control System and Method to Mitigate Reverse Oil Flow to the Combustion Chamber on Deactivated Cylinders
Alex Isakov
Digital Time Machine
Sameer Jindal
Maximising Usage of Sustainable Material in Automotive Product Development Using AI
Mohamed Keshk
RDB55 - Rim-driven Brushless Thruster for Underwater Applications
Nimrod Kilim
K-Optics Optical Educational Kit
Francisco Leme Galvao
Bio Mimetic Surface Finish for Friction Drag Reduction
Jonathan Madonia
Automated Lighted Crosswalk: Enhancing Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility
Tariro Mafohla
Anti-Roll Device for Quadbikes and Related Machinery Called Retroex Props
Mohammad Mahdavi Gorabi
Maritime Search & Rescue Software Management
Software Program for the Promotion of Countries in the International Maritime Organization
Gheorghe Matei
Subject-Oriented Programming Universal Software Model
David Mccracken
Immediate Cure for Chronic Severe EBV Infection
Luis Ricardo Mercado Mendoza
An Easy, Cost-Effective and Comprehensive Plan to melt an Iceberg for Fresh Water
Shivam Mishra
Efficient Vertical Axis Water Turbine (EVAWT) for Flowing Water
Siba Mookherjee
SIBAYU Air Cleaning System for Automobiles
Amanyisye Mwalulesa
GreenTech Revolution, Engineering a Sustainable World
Md Shaikhul Hadis Nazat
The Ultimate Weapon Concept: Photonic Gun
AI-Enhanced Universal Blueprint Generator for Electrical and Electronics Engineering (AI-UBGEEE)
Marcos Novoa Sarria
Anti-Gyroscopic Effect Wheel: A Patented Innovation for Motorcycles and Vehicles
Joakim Pauli
Charging Service for Commercial Vehicles
Masha Petrova
Modern, Fast, Accurate EM Simulation Software for Antenna and Radar Design
Martin Phelan
EndoSurge: Radiation-free Intervention
Isaac Porras
100% Solar Powered Off-Grid Tiny Home
David Pradera
Conditioning Machine for Personalized Nutritional Supplements Connected to the Computerized Medical History
Matthew Primous
Future Multi-Hybrid Car
Xina Quan
Wearable, Non-invasive, Continuous Blood Pressure Monitors for Maternal Health
David Reid
The Illuminati Project
Daryian Rhysing
Next-Gen Plasma Based Propulsion
Sergio Rios
Defense System: Advanced Solution for Mosquito Control
Michael Rosenfield
Phantom Driver
Sandeep Sagar Gummalla
Smart Grid Home (SGH)
Peter Schubert
Jack of All Elements
Sindavalam Sharath
Physical Adsorption and Biological Fixation of Nitrogen From Intake Air in Internal Combustion Engines
Balasubramaniam Sk
Motor Controllers for eMobility
Boris Tankhilevich
Novel Terahertz-Based Radiation Treatment of Cancer Without Side Effects
Anmol Taploo
A New Way To Stay In Space : Self Neutralizing Air Breathing Plasma Thruster
Pierre Touma
XSight Optics : A hand-held rPPG Medical Diagnostics Device
Yahya Wira Jazair
Real-Time Non-Surfactant Emulsion Fuel Supply System
The following entries received the highest overall scores from the panel of judges.
They are listed in alphabetical order by title.
3D Printed Shape Conformable Solid State Batteries for Powering Next Gen Electronics
800 V, 50 A HV-Switch / e-Fuse
A Master Metric Predicting Lifespan
A New Treatment Approach for Spinal Cord Injury
A Novel Electric Propulsion Unit For Affordable Deep Space Exploration
A Salivary Test for Brain Health
A Simple Sensor for Detection of Ground from Water
A Wearable Ultrasound Cardiac Imager
A Wireless Wearable Ultrasound Patch for Deep Tissue Monitoring
AeroFeathers: 3D Printed Airfoils Inspired by the Quiet Flight of Owls
All-in-one Intuitive Platform for Low Noise Cryogenic Measurements Down to a Temperature of 3K
Amnova: Large Format Manufacturing of the Future
Anisotropic Thermal Material: Revolutionizing Battery Packing for Enhanced Safety and Efficiency
Bezalel - An Open-source 3D Printable Low-cost Tactile Display
Biodegradable Mycelium Packaging
BioRobotic Solution for Space Subsurface Exploration
Celcy - The Automated Nespresso of Food
Cleaning and Cooling to Safeguard Edge Vision Sensor Functionality
Continuous, Pain-Free Monitoring of Thyroid Hormones Using a Novel Biowearable
DigiScan: Early Warning for Pre-diabetes and Overall Health
Direct Seawater Electrolysis System with High-current-density Capability
Dynamic Drive Control Scheme for Energy-Efficient Electric Drive Systems
Easy Power Plus Hydrogen Disruptor Engine
EcoSmart™ Super Biodegradable, Bioactive, and Economical Food Packaging Film and Production Process
eDrone: a Flying Robot for Surveying Biodiversity in Hard-to-Reach Forest Canopies
Electrified Green Ammonia Synthesis
Eternium Aerospace Long Range Multi-role Electric Aircraft
EVAA - Ecological Vertical Agriculture Assistant
ExoMotus™ M4 Lower-limb Exoskeleton Robot
FDR Cross, the World’s First Two-in-one Fluoroscopy and Digital Radiography System
FluShield Antiviral Chicken Feed Additive
Ganaio High-Output Regenerative Damper
High-Power Electrostatic Actuators to Realize Artificial Muscles
Highly Maneuverable Electric VTOL Robotic Aircraft for Helicopter Impenetrable Environments
Hydrogen Electric Mainline Air Transport
Implantable and Wearable Artificial Kidney
Intuitive Human-Robot Collaboration through Example-Driven Learning
Ionic Mineral Technologies' Next-Generation Battery Material: The Nano-Silicon Solution
Liconic Power Unit for UAV Batteries Replacement
Liquid Air Energy Storage with CO2 Extraction
Marine Debris Collecting Remotely Operated Vehicle
Microfluidic Device to Simulate an in-vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model
Modular Encapsulated High Temperature Heat Pumps for Industrial Decarbonization
Nano-fibrous Biopaint for Zero-electricity Cooling
New Plastic-Metal Composite 3D Printing Technology
Non-Metallic Thermoplastic Infrared DX Fluid Heater/Boiler
Novel Electrical Steel Core Lamination Manufacturing Method
Novel Perovskite Glass Composite Enabling Coenzyme Regeneration
OptiAG - High Precision Irrigation & Fertilizer Application Framework for Optimal Agriculture
OrganEYEzer - High-throughput Sorting of Organoids
Parrot-inspired Robot for Mobile Tool Manipulation
Patchflow-Robotics for In-Pipe Leak Repair
PCB Probe Tester (PCBPT) - a Compact Desktop System that Helps with Automatic PCB Debugging
Pnoi-phone: a Breath-based Device for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Asthma
POPSafe™ Endotracheal Tubes - Preventing Accidental Anesthesia/Ventilator Disconnections
Proflex® Prometheus™ - the Ultimate in High Energy Delivery Fiber Optics
Self-deployable Parabolic Satellite Antennas Based on Shape Memory Materials
SI-LINK™ DFDF-5451 NT Faster Curing Ethylene-Silane Copolymer
Small USV for Near Shore Data Collection
Solar Thermal Absorption Cooling - The Hotter It Is, The Cooler It Gets
Solar-powered Transport Networks, Jpods
Solaris - Solar-Powered Hydrogen Peroxide Water Purification System
Solaro - The Autonomous Solar Cleaning Robot
Square Trajectory Mechanism for Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robotic Systems
Sustainable Low Emission Zero Degassing High Voltage Cable Insulation Compound
SwellSense: Creating 2.5D Interactions with Micro-capsule Paper
TenseFlatables: 3D Printed Tensegrity-Assisted Inflatable Structures
The HIPO™ Modules: a Better Solution for High Power EV Chargers
Ultra-lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Door Assembly
Ultrafast Optical Transistor and Data Encoding
UnOrthoDOKS: Unibody Orthotic Device for Osteoarthritis Knee Support
ZEDS - Zero Emission Driving System: Electric Motor with Magneto-rheological Braking Integration
Zulu Pods Are the World's First Decentralized Lubrication System
GRAND PRIZE
A New Treatment Approach for Spinal Cord Injury
Johannes Dapprich, Elaine Brock, Jay Trautman, Jason Puchalla, Eve Tsai, and William S. Brown, Neuropair Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE CATEGORY
Zulu Pods Are the World’s First Decentralized Lubrication System
Tyrone Fitzgerald and Daniella Sladen, Zulu Pods, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Honorable Mention – Aerospace & Defense Category
AeroFeathers: 3D Printed Airfoils Inspired by the Quiet Flight of Owls
William Johnston, Gabrielle Mathews, Laura Nobles, Maria Carrillo-Munoz, and Brisham Sharma, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, MI, USA
Liconic Power Unit for UAV Batteries Replacement
Joao Arruda, Liconic Technology, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Proflex Prometheus – the Ultimate in High Energy Delivery Fiber Optics
Stephen Griffin, InnovaQuartz, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Shape Memory Alloy Assisted Geometric Docking Adapters
Athip Thirupathi Raj, Nicolas Gross, Jaret Rickel, Conner Sturgeon, and Jekan Thangavelautham, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
AUTOMOTIVE/TRANSPORTATION CATEGORY
Ganaio High-Output Regenerative Damper
John Gewarges, Ganaio, El Cajon, CA, USA
Honorable Mention – Automotive/Transportation Category
ZEDS – Zero Emission Driving System
Henrique De Carvalho Pinheiro, Massimiliana Carello, and Giovanni Imberti, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
Novel Electrical Steel Core Lamination Manufacturing Method
Youliang He, Damir Sebesta, and Maciej Podlesny, CanmetMATERIALS, RNCan, Ontario, Canada
Easy Power Plus Hydrogen Disruptor Engine
David Bosley, Aeroflux LLC, Columbus, IN, USA
Hybrid Transmission System for Blending Torque and Power Efficiency Between Engines & Final Transmission Shaft
Carlos Juni, Two Heads LLC, Buenos Aires, Argentina
ELECTRONICS CATEGORY
Safely Watch and Prioritize Maintenance with AI Deep Learning and Low-cost Passive RF Wireless Vibratory Strain Sensors
Reamonn Soto, Taofeek Orekan, and Azryana Soto, Sensatek, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
Honorable Mention – Electronics Category
SwellSense: Creating 2.5D Interactions with Micro-capsule Paper
Tingyu Cheng, Hyunjoo Oh, Gregory Abowd, Clement Zheng, Zhihan Zhang, Bingrui Zong, Yuhui Zhao, and YeJun Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
Ultrafast Optical Transistor and Data Encoding
Mohammed Hassan, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
PCB Probe Tester – a Compact Desktop System that Helps with Automatic PCB Debugging
Fangzheng Liu and Joseph Paradiso, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA
SwitchaBLE
Yanghsi Su, Euiseok Huang, and Alanson Sample, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
MANUFACTURING & MATERIALS CATEGORY
TenseFlatables: 3D Printed Tensegrity-Assisted Inflatable Structures
William Johnston, Michigan Tech University, Houghton, MI, USA
Honorable Mention – Manufacturing & Materials Category
New Plastic-Metal Composite 3D Printing Technology
Kewei Song, Shinjiro Umezu, Hirotaka Sato, and Marc Josep Montagut Marques, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Ultra-lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Door Assembly
Sai Aditya Pradeep, Amit Deshpande, Madhura Limaye, Anmol Kothari, Aditya Yerra, Lukas Fuessel, Pal Swaminathan, Ryan Hahnlen, Duane Detwiler, Shridhar Yarlagadda, Gang Li, and Srikanth Pilla, Clemson Composites Center, Greenville, SC, USA
SI-LINK DFDF-5451 NT Faster Curing Ethylene Copolymer
Bharat Chaudhary, Sai Pappu, Peter Dreux, Kurt Bolz, Rajesh Paradkar, Arkady Krasovskiy, Marcio Alves, Ernesto Roman, Luis Vargas, Abhijit Ghosh-Dastidar, and Saurav Sengupta, The Dow Chemical Company, Collegeville, PA, USA
Patented Ceramic Grease
Rick Pelfrey, TriboDyn Inc., Mooresville, SC, USA
MEDICAL CATEGORY
A Salivary Test for Brain Health
Damir Janigro and Robert Schmidt, Flocel Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
Honorable Mention – Medical Category
A Master Metric Predicting Lifespan
Jess Goodman, VitalSines Inc., Ontario, Canada
POPSafe Endotracheal Tubes – Preventing Accidental Anesthesia/Ventilator Disconnections
Kay Fuller, Smart Bridge Medical Inc., Ann Arbor, MI, USA
FluShield Antiviral Chicken Feed Additive
Haichuan Yang, Cubist Systematic Strategies, Long Island City, NY, USA
Continuous, Pain-free Monitoring of Thyroid Hormones Using a Novel Biowearable
Cameron West and Ali Dabas, Integrated Molecular Innovations (imi), Clarksville, TN, USA
ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION CATEGORY
Patchflow Robotics for In-pipe Leak Repair
Rory Bateman, Imperial College London, London, UK
Honorable Mention – Robotics & Automation Category
Parrot-inspired Robot for Mobile Tool Manipulation
Clyde Webster, Crest Robotics, New South Wales, Australia
Highly Maneuverable Electric VTOL Robotic Aircraft for Helicopter Impenetrable Environments
Alex Ramirez Serrano, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
BioRobotic Solution for Space Subsurface Exploration
Mohamed Alkalla, Mansoura University, Egypt
Intuitive Human-Robot Collaboration through Example-Driven Learning
Caitlin Dawson and Heramb Nemlekar, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY CATEGORY
Leakproof Valve
Ned Davis, Maui Innovation Group Inc., Kihei, HI, USA
Honorable Mention – Sustainable Technology Category
Direct Seawater Electrolysis System with High-current-density Capability
Nobuhiko Kobayashi and Søren Tornøe, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Nano-fibrous Biopaint for Zero-electricity Cooling
Andrew Caratenuto and Yi Zheng, Planck Energies Inc., Canton, MA, USA
Solaris – Solar-powered Hydrogen Peroxide Water Purification System
Zalkar Azizbekov, Messina University, Messina, Italy
Ionic Mineral Technologies’ Next-generation Battery Material: the Nano-Silicon Revolution
Bathen Lankry and Jake Entwistle, Ionic Mineral Technologies, Vineyard, UT, USA
TOP TEN MOST POPULAR ENTRIES
Portable Multiple Saw “LION-GREEN J-1”
Jonar Cubillan, 3JC Technologies, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Advanced Drive Cycle Generation Device
Robert Michael Corpus and Meldanette Bayani, PUP, Manila, Philippines
Air Ionization in Air Breathing Plasma Thruster
Anmol Taploo, Michael Keidar, Li Lin, Vikas Soni, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
Inkjet Printed SERS Substrate & Raman Spectrometer to Detect Food Contamination
Tony Francis, CheckAg Pvt Ltd.. Bangalore, India
SMARTRIX® Empowers Color-blind Drivers to Safely Drive
Renato Openiano, Orentrix, San Diego, CA, USA
Pnoi-phone: a Breath-based Device for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Asthma
Veerababu Dharanalakota, Jeevan K, Prasanta Kumar Ghosh, Uma Maheswari Krishnaswamy, and Mohammad Shaique Solanki, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
Digital Portable Patient Folder Using NFC Technology
Yaw Antwi Adjei, Data Catalyst, Accra, Ghana
Automated Poultry Feeding System Using Microcontroller-based SmartFlock Technology
Robert Michael Corpus and Meldanette Bayani, PUP, Manila, Philippines
Ultra-lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Door Assembly
Sai Aditya Pradeep, Amit Deshpande, Madhura Limaye, Anmol Kothari, Aditya Yerra, Lukas Fuessel, Pal Swaminathan, Ryan Hahnlen, Duane Detwiler, Shridhar Yarlagadda, Gang Li, and Srikanth Pilla, Clemson Composites Center, Greenville, SC, USA
Mushroom-based Paper
Terlumun Nor, Makurdi, Nigeria
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