Mansfield-based Mouser Electronics Inc., a semiconductor and electronic component distributor that is a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a principal sponsor of the 17th Create the Future Design Contest, a challenge to engineers and students around the world to create the next great thing.
Mouser, which has sponsored the contest for several years, is joined this year by suppliers Intel and Analog Devices Inc. as co-sponsors. The contest is produced by Tech Briefs Media Group, an SAE International Company. COMSOL is also a principal sponsor of the contest.
The grand prize winner receives worldwide recognition and a cash prize of $20,000 for an innovative product that benefits society and the economy. Previous contests have produced more than 14,000 design ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs and students in more than 100 countries.
Last year’s grand-prize-winning entry was Invisible Glass, developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials. Invisible Glass presents a method for creating surface nanotextures that effectively eliminate optical reflections from glass, silicon and plastics.
“Mouser has been dedicated to fostering education and innovation since our founding,” said Kevin Hess, senior vice president of marketing at Mouser Electronics. “We proudly support opportunities like the Create the Future Design Contest that bring out the best in engineers and students.”
The Create the Future Design Contest brings attention to product designs that enhance quality of life, improve the efficiency and quality of health care or help to reduce dependence on nonrenewable energy sources.
Previous grand prize-winning entries include an economical rapid screening device to prevent food-borne illness and a wheelchair propulsion system designed to increase the user’s mobility while decreasing upper body repetitive strain injuries.
The contest was created in 2002 by the publishers of Tech Briefs magazine to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation.
The grand prize winner will be chosen from the winners in seven entry categories: Aerospace and Defense, Automotive/Transportation, Consumer Products, Electronics/Sensors/IoT, Manufacturing/Automation/Robotics, Medical, and Sustainable Technologies.
For more information, go to www.mouser.com/createthefuture.