Breakthrough Awards

Brittany Tate Ellen Jun Liu Alexa Scribner

What is a Breakthrough Award?

Began in 2005 Awarded by Popular Mechanics Magazine in the fall of each year. Targets innovators who are shaping the worlds future through science and technology-and new products that represent benchmarks of engineering.

Breakthrough Award
Awards are divided into two categories: innovators and products Awards given to those who the panel of editors feel are addressing longstanding problems in medicine, space exploration, technology, environmental engineering, and automotive design in new ways.

Judges look for winners who can:

Solve real problems in new ways Provide products or innovations that gives people more control over technology Make subtle but ingenious improvements to products that are very familiar (ex: Ford airbag seatbelt)

sOccket

a power-generating soccer ball

2010 Next Generation Award winner 4 Undergraduates from Harvard University When the ball rolls, a magnet goes back and forth inside a metal coil and generates electricity, which is stored in a capacitor. 15 mins of play = 3 hours of LED light

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/soccer-illo.jpg

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/Cf/soccer-bta-md.jpg

Why soccer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_emb edded&v=Bi8-wLWqJp8
The idea behind Buy One, Get One We are trying to make a bigger statement about energy needs. Jessica Lin

http://www.heatingoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/soccket.jpg

Osorb
2011 Brilliant Innovators award winner Invented by Paul Edmiston, College of Wooster, and ABSMaterials. Swellable glass (animated organosilica) that captures volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, chlorinated solvents, endocrine disruptors, and other contaminants.

An Answer?
It works like a nanomechanical sponge. Ive done the trace analysis, and the waters totally clean. -Paul Edmiston The material can be regenerated from hundreds of times to endlessly.

How it Works
The silicas are hydrophobic, but they grab polar and nonpolar compounds from the solution. Contaminants are relaesed by applying heat. NO TOXIC BYPRODUCTS Cost efficient and highly effective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVtqXxz0R90&fea ture=player_embedded

References
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/news/1762911?click =main_sr http://thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/breakthrough-awards-2011 http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20114508-52/popular-mechanicsbreakthrough-awards-honor-innovation/ http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/gonzo/soccer-ballthat-makes-electricity-during-the-game http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/using-soccer-to-supplant-keroseneuse/ http://unchartedplay.com/soccket/ http://www.absmaterials.com/osorb http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/water/a-chemicalsponge-that-pulls-toxins-from-water