-- Amy B. Smith, senior lecturer, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology: A visionary who designs practical, affordable technology to
address challenges in the developing world, Smith has won multiple
engineering awards for her work on ways to purify water, improve medical
care and ease the workload of rural women. An inspiration to students and
volunteers who dedicate their time to improve the standard of living in
Haiti, Ghana, India and other countries, she is leading a movement to
tackle complex problems with simple technology. Smith will deliver the
keynote remarks at the awards ceremony.
Next Generation Award
-- Rudy Roy, Ben Sexson, Daniel Oliver, and Charles Pyott, recent
graduates of the California Institute of Technology and the Art Center
College of Design: These undergrads have transformed inexpensive bikes
into wheelchairs for people in the developing world. The four students
created a prototype wheelchair from two recycled mountain bikes. The
result is a chair that is practical, durable and affordable and -- unlike
most wheelchairs donated overseas -- repairable at any local bike shop.
Breakthrough Innovator Awards: Celebrating Innovation in Science and
Technology
-- Jack D. Newman, Kinkead Reiling, Neil Renninger, scientists and
founders of Amyris Biotechnologies: Clean, renewable diesel fuel from
microbes can alleviate the dual problems of global warming and petroleum
shortages. Amyris has doctored the genetic makeup of garden-variety
microbes to create new microorganisms programmed to churn out hydrocarbons
that are chemically identical to diesel fuel.
-- Greg Allgood, Director of the Children's Safe Drinking Water Program,
Procter & Gamble public health specialist: P&G's miracle powder, PUR,
creates clean and clear water by removing silt and other solid
contaminants, as well as killing bacteria and viruses. The inexpensive
powder, which is delivered in business-card-size packets, is saving lives
in poor countries around the world. Now it is being introduced to the
United States for use by emergency response professionals and individuals.
-- Lonnie Johnson, Johnson ElectroMechanical Systems: Johnson, the
inventor of the Super Soaker squirt gun, has created a revolutionary
prototype that uses heat to generate electricity employing hydrogen and an
ion-exchange process. Unlike conventional engines, Johnson's prototype has
no moving parts, which means no friction and fewer mechanical failures --
and the hydrogen doesn't need to be replenished. His concept provides hope
for a major advance in sustainable generation of electricity.
-- Barry Goldstein, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Ed Sedivy, Lockheed
Martin Space Systems; Peter Smith, University of Arizona: In 2008, the
Phoenix Mars Mission established a momentous milestone in exploration,
confirming the presence of water on another planet. The discovery made
future human exploration of the planet far easier to contemplate and plan
for.
-- Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony, founders of Aptera: Aptera is
introducing a line of ultra-high-mileage eco-cars to be priced around
$30,000. The company radically reduced weight and drag, turning to a three-
wheel design to create comfortable, real-world vehicles -- ones that pass
standard car safety tests. The all-electric Typ-1e has an estimated 120-
mile range, while the plug-in hybrid Typ-1h will get 300 miles per gallon
on trips of 100 miles or more, and should always stay above 130 mpg.
-- Mehmet Toner, biomedical engineer at Harvard-MIT Division of Health
Sciences and Technology: It is extremely difficult to detect a
metastasizing tumor before symptoms show up -- and that seriously delays
treatment. Toner has designed a new device for detecting circulating tumor
cells (CTC). The business-card-size silicon chip is coated with antibodies
that attract CTCs. In the short term, the chip will give doctors instant
feedback on their patients. In the future, it may lead to a cheap and
simple cancer-screening test for the general population. The chips
currently cost about $250 to produce; the future mass-produced version
could cost as little as $5.
-- Charles E. Andraka, engineer at Sandia National Laboratories; Bruce
Osborn, president of Stirling Energy Systems: A million homes may be
powered by solar thermal technology by 2015. A system developed by
Stirling Energy and Sandia uses mirrored dishes measuring almost 40 feet
across to concentrate the sun's heat onto a Stirling engine and generate
grid-ready power. The team set a record of 31.25 percent efficiency in
2008, and now SES has begun building 70,000 dishes in California. The
installations will nearly double the amount of commercial solar power
generated in the United States.
-- Andrew Tschesnok and Jonathan Rand, founders of Organic Motion:
Organic Motion's technology enables computers to see people and understand
human motion without requiring subjects to wear tracking devices of any
kind. The system digitizes the exact motion to within sub-millimeter
accuracy and at a speed of 120 frames per second, fast enough to recognize
the movements of professional athletes. Organic Motion's advancement in
computer vision has extensive impacts for medicine, sports, security, and
certainly for a new generation of interactive video games.
Breakthrough Product Awards: Setting Benchmarks in Design, Creativity and
Engineering
-- M-Spector Digital Inspection Camera: Home repair has never been so
easy. Instead of cutting walls open to diagnose a problem, a DIYer can use
the camera's 17-mm-wide 2x zoom lens, which beams behind-the-wall
reconnaissance to a 2.5-inch LCD. The camera provides 15 hours of battery
life to find leaks, trace wiring and more. $259, milwaukeetool.com
-- Spore: From the mastermind behind EA's The Sims comes one of the most
widely anticipated video games ever, one that traces the evolution of a
species from single cell to the conquest of space. Spore relies on a
process called procedural animation to allow players' creations to interact
in utterly fresh and unpredictable ways. $49, spore.com
-- Livescribe Pulse Smartpen: An integrated microphone and a
revolutionary method for audio retrieval make this pen a productive way to
digitize penmanship for PC perusal. To play a clip back, the user simply
taps the written notes and the pen automatically cues up the appropriate
audio. It can even take on complex tasks such as language translation.
$149, livescribe.com
-- Potenco PCG1 Power Generator: A pull-cord power generator, the PCG1
creates electricity for portable gadgets with far greater efficiency than
hand-cranked devices. It weighs 14 ounces, has an internal mini-USB output
jack, and can convert 2 minutes of effort into 40 minutes of cellphone talk
time. $99, potenco.com
-- Intel Atom Processor: Brilliantly efficient and a marvel of
miniaturization, Intel's new low-power Atom processor brings PC-like
capabilities and an uncompromised Internet experience to a new class of
handheld Mobile Internet Devices, as well as simple, affordable mobile and
desktop machines known as netbooks and nettops. intel.com
-- Craftsman Nextec Multi-Saw: Taking power tool versatility to a higher
level, the Nextec Multi-Saw is a 12-volt lithium-ion battery powered hybrid
of a jigsaw and a reciprocating saw. It is small enough to get into tight
spots, but powerful enough for tough cutting, with an adjustable speed of
up to 2000 strokes per minute. $150 (kit includes: a drill, two batteries,
a charger, two blades, a drill bit and a work light), craftsman.com
-- Microsoft Photosynth: This free, remarkable software analyzes a
multitude of photos to create a browsable 3D model by identifying
overlapping points in the images. The result is a fresh way to organize
and share photography -- opening up new possibilities for a 180-year-old
art form. photosynth.com
-- Amazon Kindle: This e-book reader proves that digital paper can be a
real alternative to the printed page. The Kindle can be read for hours
without causing eyestrain -- or running out of batteries. And it has a
built-in high-speed EVDO antenna. The Kindle connects itself to Sprint's
high-speed network to download books, blogs or digital versions of
newspapers wirelessly from nearly anywhere. $359, amazon.com/kindle
-- Infiniti Around View Monitor: A new level of automotive safety has
appeared, as the Around View allows drivers to see 360 degrees around their
vehicle while they park. With multiple ultra-wide-angle high-resolution
cameras, the images are synthesized for the driver to provide a "bird's-eye
view" on the navigation screen. This advanced system will likely save
lives, especially those of young children. It is optional on new Infiniti
models, such as the EX35 and the FX35/FX50. Included in packages from
$1950, infiniti.com
-- Caroma Profile Smart Dual Flush Toilet: Graywater systems can sharply
reduce water usage in the home without any sacrifice in convenience. This
clever system elegantly routes sink water used when washing hands into the
tank of the toilet. It's a way to bring smart, green design into everyday
life. Currently available in Australia only. $409, caromausa.com
Criteria and Evaluation
In selecting the candidates and winners of the 2008 Breakthrough Awards
program, the editors of POPULAR MECHANICS (PM) canvassed a large range of
experts and academics to come up with a list of worthy nominees. Taking
into account their findings and the input of contributing editors and
outside experts, they then reviewed the nominations to choose the winners.
A complete report of the Breakthrough Awards will be published in the
November issue of POPULAR MECHANICS (on newsstands Oct. 14, 2008).
High-resolution images of the winners as well as full conference coverage
will be available upon request and at www.popularmechanics.com.
POPULAR MECHANICS
POPULAR MECHANICS (www.popularmechanics.com) is a magazine that helps
readers master the modern world. In addition to providing hands-on coverage
of personal technology, cars and home improvement, PM reports in-depth on
the science and technology behind major issues -- including such stories as
disaster planning, hydrogen fuel and other energy alternatives, military
expenditures and digital privacy. Each month, nearly 9 million readers turn
for advice and news to the magazine's editors and contributors, who include
Jay Leno, astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Tom Jones and roboticist Daniel H.
Wilson. In addition to its U.S. flagship, POPULAR MECHANICS publishes nine
editions around the world. POPULAR MECHANICS is published by Hearst
Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the
world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions
around the world, including 18 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United
Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National
Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other
publisher of monthly magazines (75.6 million total adults, according to
MRI, Spring 2008).
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is
to extend and enhance human life.
Contact Information: Contact info: Andrea Faville Popular Mechanics 212-649-2165 afaville@hearst.com Kendra Newton Popular Mechanics 212-649-2577 knewton@hearst.com