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 5,000 product design ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs, and students worldwide. The 2007 competition set a new record, with nearly 1,000 entries. Presented by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., this year the contest is co-sponsored by COMSOL, Hewlett-Packard, and National Instruments. Information about sponsor company products for innovative designers can be found on the Sponsors page.

Previous grand prize winning ideas have included a low-friction gear set for electric vehicles; a portable, noninvasive bone and joint damage detection device; an improved fastening system for orthopedic splints and casts; a low-cost in-vehicle emergency warning device; an integrated motor/fluid pump that reduces size and weight while increasing performance; and a new long-lasting light source material for safety applications.