2013 Popular Science Invention Awards

Attention tinkerers: There is still time to enter your homegrown inventions in the Popular Science Invention Awards. The seventh annual competition is accepting entries through January 14, 2013.

The editors of the magazine will pick 10 entries that “best represent the spirit of homegrown ingenuity and solve real-world problems in a practical, innovative way.” Winners will be announced in the May 2013 issue.

Inventions must be physical objects, in the form of a working prototype. They must be the work of independent inventors or small teams, and should be “poised to create a market or disrupt an existing one.”

Taking a look at the 2012 awards will give you a pretty good idea of the breadth of typical entries, which range from incredibly practical (a better lobster trap, a misting system for overheated firemen) to incredibly futuristic (augmented reality contact lenses).

There were also a couple of entries with an eye on sustainability. Frank Will’s Over7 engine system, for instance, redirects and then heats an engine’s oil, cutting gas consumption by 7% and emissions by up to 30%. Inventor Peter Brewin, on the other hand, came up with a design for a recirculating shower that uses a miniature treatment system to recycle 70% of the water used during a shower.

To enter, send a short description about the invention to [email protected], along with any photos, video links or outside testimony you think will be useful.

Source: Popular Science