Top Student Inventors Bring Innovation to Indy

Ten Student Teams Vie For Recognition and Seed Money at ASME IShow in Indianapolis

NEW YORK, Apr. 16, 2013 – A research team at the renowned Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore believes it is on the threshold of a new medical device that can decrease blood pressure in humans, and students at Michigan State University think they have the answer to tangled headphone cords.

The two teams will bring their ideas and visions for a better and brighter future to Indianapolis on June 22, joining eight other engineering teams in the 7th Annual ASME IShow. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers will present I-Show in conjunction with the Society’s Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott.

ASME IShow will also feature energy-saving products and mechanical devices intended to bring a better quality of life to remote regions of the developing world – the inventions of the best and brightest students representing tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, technology innovators, and business entrepreneurs.

Criteria for the cash awards that go to the top three teams include a practical design and sound business plan encompassing such aspects as target markets, financing, and intellectual property protection. The teams will be judged by a panel of business experts, venture capitalists, and intellectual property specialists.

“The real challenge for the participants in ASME IShow is to design a product or system that demonstrates potential in the broader marketplace and that bring improvements to people and to the world,” said Thomas Loughlin, the executive director of ASME. “ASME IShow is a great test of a student’s engineering skills and business aptitude.”

A team from Brigham Young University will present Shot Coach, a system for basketball that uses sensors embedded in the wristband of a player and attached to the rim to collect a range of data. Massachusetts Institute of Technology will have three teams at ASME IShow, one of which will discuss a flameless pot that heats liquids and precooked food using a unique chemical reaction.

The ten participants in the 2013 ASME IShow are:

Bournemouth University (United Kingdom)
Innovation: Epidural Needle Insertion Simulator, a biotech device that provides feedback about spine biomechanics.

Brigham Young University
Innovation: Shot Coach, a device to track the arc of a basketball shot, player form, and other aspects of shooting.

Harvard University
Innovation: Theratech, a biotech device that delivers insulin and other drugs for patient therapy.

Johns Hopkins University
Innovation: AccuRIGHT a medical device for the treatment of hypertension.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Innovation: Coriolis Hematocrit Centrifuge, a portable device to determine the volume of blood cells and plasma in a blood sample.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Innovation: HeatWare, a portable and flameless pot for campers, boaters, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Innovation: One Bin, a travel bag featuring multiple compartments to hold virtually all of a traveler’s belongings.

Tufts University
Innovation: Uji, a showerhead that changes from a green color to red during extensive use, encouraging brief showers to save water and energy.

University of Michigan
Innovation: TurtleCell, a protective case for smart phone accessories, featuring a retracting mechanism for ear buds.

Washington University (at St. Louis)
Innovation: Sparo Labs, a diagnostic tool that helps patients manage asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other chronic respiratory diseases.

Information on the ASME IShow is available at http://www.asme.org/conferences-events/competitions/asme-ishow.

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.