Contest begins July 8, 2008 and ends October 17, 2008. We must receive your entry 11:59 pm ET on October 17, 2008.  For your entry to qualify for consideration, you must meet the following requirements:

• Complete the official Entry Form and upload image(s) with your entry.



• Choose one of six categories for your entry:
  • Consumer Products: Products that increase quality of life in the workplace, at home, during leisure time, or while traveling.
  • Machinery, Equipment and Component Technology: Products that speed and improve work, manufacturing, or scientific research processes.
  • Medical Products: Products that improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare.
  • Safety and Security: Products that enhance the security or safety of individuals, businesses, communities, or nations.
  • Sustainable Technologies: Products that help reduce dependence on non-renewable energy resources, as well as products designed for other purposes using environmentally friendly materials or manufacturing processes.
  • Transportation: Products that enable movement of people and goods from one place to another.



• Provide a complete description of your entry (up to 500 words), in the form of a technical abstract. Review Tips from previous judges for how to create a winning description.  You will be judged on these criteria:
  • Innovation
  • Manufacturability
  • Marketability
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Design communication (visuals and text explanation)



• Upload at least one visual illustration (file type options: PDF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, EDRW). You may submit:
  • Scanned sketches, charts, and 2D CAD drawing images
  • 3D CAD images including 3D PDF
  • eDrawings files

Judging

The publisher of NASA Tech Briefs magazine will select a minimum of 35 judges from the magazine’s editorial board of readers. The judging panel will also be open to one representative from each Gold sponsor company. All decisions of the judges shall be final.

Winners will be notified by phone, email, and/or direct mail, and announced in January 2009. Winners will also be highlighted in April 2009 in the supplemental issue of NASA Tech Briefs magazine.  After January 2009, you may obtain a list of the prize winners by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Tech Briefs Media Group; 1466 Broadway, #910; New York, NY 10036, Att'n: NASA Tech Briefs, Create the Future design contest.

Prizes

Grand Prize*
$20,000 USD

First Prize in Each Category (6)
HP xw4600 Workstations (or comparable workstation of equivalent value)

Popular Vote Winners (6)
$100 USD

All qualified entrants will receive a limited-edition Create the Future design contest t-shirt or souvenir of equivalent or greater value.

* Contest is prohibited by law in certain US States and countries.  Please review restrictions below.

RESTRICTIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS

The Primary Sponsors of the Create the Future design contest (the "Contest") are Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. and Tech Briefs Media Group, publisher of NASA Tech Briefs magazine. Contact information: Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., 300 Baker Avenue, Concord, MA, 01742; telephone +1-978-371-5011. Or Tech Briefs Media Group; 1466 Broadway, #910; New York, NY 10036, Att'n: NASA Tech Briefs, Create the Future design contest. Telephone: +1-212-490-3999.

There is no purchase necessary to enter or win.

Rules

• The entrant may submit multiple different entries to the Contest but is allowed only one entry per category.
• Entries must be submitted electronically per the instructions on the Entry Form.
• Each entry must be made under a single individual's name. However, that individual can represent a design team or group.
• Designs for products already in commercial production may not be entered; nor may they have previously won a prize of monetary value as an entry in a previous contest.
• All federal, state, local, municipal, income, and other taxes (if any) are the sole responsibility of the winners.
• The odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries. Sponsors cannot predict the odds of winning as they have no prior knowledge of the number of entrants who will participate.
• Eligibility to win prizes: Eligible entrants who submit qualified entries are eligible to receive entry gifts (limited-edition Create the Future design contest t-shirts or alternate souvenir of equivalent or greater value).
• Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Employees and the immediate families of the Primary Sponsors, their parent companies, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising/promotion agencies, and members of judging organizations are not eligible and prohibited from entering.
• The Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law, local and national, regarding contests, which includes Quebec, Brazil, the Netherlands, China, New York, and Florida.
• Entrants grant Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. permission to share information provided in the contest entry form, such as name, address, and email address, with the Gold Sponsors detailed on the Contest Sponsors webpage for use for marketing purposes.
• By entering, entrants warrant that their entry is an original idea that has not previously won awards or prizes of monetary value in another contest prior to entering the Create the Future design contest, that they are authorized by the owner of the design to enter the design in the contest, and that the design does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.
• Entrants shall have the option to display all or part of their entry information on the contest website during the contest "live" period.  If they elect not to do so, their submission shall be maintained in confidence by the Primary Sponsors until the winners are announced. Contest Sponsors shall not be liable to an entrant for commercializing ideas that have been independently developed without the use of entrant's submission.
• The entrant or the entrant's company, whichever applies, retains ownership of the design idea submitted for the Contest but entry materials become the property of the Primary Sponsors and will not be acknowledged or returned. Primary Sponsors are not responsible for any expenses incurred by entrants in connection with participation in the contest.
• The Primary Sponsors reserve the right to disqualify entries that are frivolous or fail to meet the entry requirements as described on this page.
• The Contest may be terminated at the Primary Sponsors' sole discretion.
• Prizes cannot be substituted or redeemed for cash except at the Primary Sponsors' sole discretion. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason.
• Entrants are authorized to and approve the use of images created from entry visuals provided for use in marketing materials to be produced by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. and its assigns, including use on SolidWorks websites. Entrants are authorized to and do grant Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., Dassault Systèmes, their affiliates, and assigns, the right to use, reproduce, or incorporate in any manner whatsoever all or any portion of the aforementioned images. Entrants represent and warrant that the materials are owned by them or their company free and clear of any liens or claims of any third-party, that they have a legal right to grant the permission herein given on behalf of themselves, their company, or a third party, if appropriate. Furthermore, the entrant agrees that he/she, or if the design is owned by his/her company, that his/her company will indemnify and hold harmless Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., Dassault Systèmes, their affiliates, assigns, agents, and employees, against liability should any third-party claim that the use of the materials by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., Dassault Systèmes, their affiliates, assigns, agents, and employees, violates any right of such third party to the materials.
• Entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Primary Sponsors/judges, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. By entering, they agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity or error in these Official Rules. Except where prohibited by law, the winners consent to the use of their name and/or likeness by the Primary Sponsors for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation. Each entrant agrees that the Primary Sponsors and other Sponsors of the Contest and their parent companies, agents, representatives, affiliates, and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from his/her participation in the Contest, or resulting from the acceptance of these prizes.
• The Contest Sponsors assume no responsibility for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer systems, servers, software, Internet service providers, or e-mail systems; failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or incomplete, late, lost, damaged, illegible or misdirected electronic communications; or any combination thereof, including damage to entrants' or anyone else's computer equipment related to or resulting from participation or downloading of any materials in this Contest.
• Participation in the Contest constitutes an agreement by each entrant to be bound by these Official Contest Rules. Sponsors reserve the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsors. In the event the Contest is compromised by non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsors that corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, the Primary Sponsors reserve the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest. Caution: Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, Sponsors reserve the right to seek damages from any such entrant to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  
  

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. By entering the contest, the entrant agrees that (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (2) any claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the contest, but in no event attorney's fees; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.

SolidWorks is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by web site users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest.

 

IN NO EVENT WILL Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., ITS LICENSEES, AND OR THEIR PARENTS, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES AND RELATED COMPANIES, THEIR ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION AGENCIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM ACCESS TO, OR USE OF, THIS WEBSITE, ELECTRONIC OR COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS, OR ENTRANT PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST, EVEN IF SPONSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING PROVIDED FOR THE CONTEST INCLUDING ANY SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO SOME ENTRANTS OR THEIR JURISDICTIONS.