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 more

A ‘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 now

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

Follow Create the Future

Virtual Axis Steer System VASS

Votes: 0
Views: 7521
Transportation

The object of this project is to build a better 3-wheeled vehicle by using a virtual axis steer system (VASS) on the one front wheel of a (1F2R) trike.

This system is designed for use as an inexpensive high performance, all weather, high gas mileage, safe, 3-wheeler.

The system is made of 2 front, leading "J" arms that connect to each side of the axle and to a torque tube in the back that synchronizes the vertical movement of the 2 J arms and hence the wheel. A steering box or rack and pinion is connected to the "J" arms by tie rods that control lateral movement of the J arms.

The trapezoidal configuration of the pivot points causes the one front wheel to steer left and right and offset laterally to the opposite side of the direction of steer. So when you turn the wheel it also offsets to the outside of the corner effectively replacing the missing "loaded" wheel of a 4 wheeled vehicle to some extent. The result is the lightness, agility and aerodynamics of a 3-wheel vehicle and the stability of a 4 wheel vehicle.

Other advantages of the VASS are:
1- Low center of gravity. All the mass is at or below axle height
2- Anti dive braking. When you put on the brakes the nose doesn`t dive , it stays flat.
3- O bump steer. Vertical movement of the wheel causes no steer action, even when turned.
4- No Ackerman problems that trikes with 2 front wheels have.
5- Wheel cambers correctly when turned.
6- Very strong.
7- Good visibility. No forks and handle bars blocking the forward view.

This system replaces the forks of a motorcycle that is commonly used on 1F2R tikes with a stronger better system, making a strong, stable, safe, easy to drive trike.

The long range plan is to mass produce inexpensive fun to drive trikes for the masses.

Thanks, Don

  • Awards

  • 2012 Top 100 Entries

Voting

Voting is closed!

  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Don Maguire
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    never
  • Don's hobbies and activities:
    Cars, girls
  • Don is inspired by:
    The desire to further the advancement of the human race.
  • Software used for this entry:
    none
  • Patent status:
    none