Innovation World Cup 2011 contest finalists announced

Judges have selected nine finalists in this year's Innovation World Cup, picking products and prototypes that range from a Bluetooth enabled wrist bracelet for infants to self-weighing luggage.

Winners will be selected in January from the three products that made the final cut in each of the contest's three categories. These category winners will be announced at the ISPO trade show in Munich, Germany, at the end of January. One of these category winners will be selected as the overall IWC contest winner and named 2011 Bluetooth Innovator of the Year.

The third annual contest is designed to reward innovative new product ideas that use Bluetooth v4.0 with low energy technology.

2011 finalists in each category

Here are the three finalists in each category, as announced at the MEDICA trade show in Munich on 16 November 2011:

Sports & Fitness finalists

Micro Optics Display (MOD) & MOD Live, by Recon Instruments

Recon Instruments created a Bluetooth low energy enabled remote control for their MOD technology; revolutionary, unobtrusive head-mounted micro optics displays for goggles that give the user real-time access to performance and communications information direct-to-eye in fast paced environments.

Heartrate monitor in headphones, by Vlad Savchenko of SoundOfMotion

SoundOfMotion’s innovation extends the functionality of traditional Bluetooth sport headphones to measure heart beats and instantly provide audible and tactile feedback to the user. Using electrically conductive in-the-ear inserts or earbuds, the headset will be able to measure the heart beat in the same way as a traditional chest belt heart rate monitor.

Unobstructed skin, natural body oils and moisture in the ear make the heart beat measurements very reliable. The dual-mode Bluetooth device will allow the headset to work as a heart rate monitor in Bluetooth low energy technology mode or as a stereo audio system in Classic Bluetooth mode. 

Smart Weights, by Eric and Meaghan Zorij of Diesel Dogs

This product has the look and feel of standard weight lifting equipment, with the addition of a Bluetooth low energy technology transceiver. This transceiver provides the ability to monitor, track, and log the exercises performed and automatically upload the results.

For each exercise, Smart Weight can measure form and technique, number of sets, number of repetitions, resistance levels, and duration.

 The workout summary is seamlessly uploaded via Bluetooth low energy technology to a smart phone or Bluetooth enabled PC. Separate software on the phone or PC allows the retrieval of workout data, including information about form and technique used for each repetition and progress tracking, including monthly summaries and an exercise routine program design.

Healthcare finalists

Core MD, by Guilherme de Paula of Pancreum

CoreMD provides a wireless communication and power infrastructure for replaceable wearable medical devices. These devices could perform a variety of functions such as sense body conditions (temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, fetus activity, interstitial glucose, and more), alert the user that a certain threshold has been reached, and/or even inject sub-cutaneously delivered drugs (insulin, glucagon, amylin, vasopressors, and others).

The CoreMD device is reusable and uses Bluetooth v4.0 with low energy technology. It runs on a coin-cell battery that can be recharged using a micro USB connector. 

Cap Track, by Daniel Corkum, Rosanna Myers, and Maura Tresch

CapTrack is an innovative new system for increasing medication adherence. CapTrack uses special Bluetooth enabled “Connected Caps” that fit any standard prescription bottles to keep track of medication adherence and help patients make the most of their treatment regimens. The Connected Caps use light and sound to remind you when to take medication – they can even call your phone or send you an email if you forget.

The caps communicate with CapTrack’s servers to generate real-time progress reports for you and your doctor. Optionally, you can invite friends, family members, or other trusted support partners to receive updates on your progress. If you want, CapTrack will even call your pharmacy for a prescription refill when it senses you’re running low on a medication. 

Monbaby, by Arturas Vaitaitis and Jung Bae Kim of Rentech

An active Bluetooth low energy technology sensor attached to a small bracelet worn by newborn babies can measure their vital signals and relay that to multiple receivers. The device is designed to mitigate the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS).

The bracelet can be paired with a matching wristband worn by the parents. The wristband will then receive data being transmitted by the baby's bracelet and function as an active remote monitor for the newborn. The data can also be received by a centralized data aggregator, allowing nurses and doctors to access real-time vital signals in the nursery.

The smartphone app and receiver devices can send alerts over multiple channels if a baby's vital signals reach unusual or dangerous thresholds. The goal is to create a sensor small enough and cost-effective enough to fit inside a wristband.

Automotive, Entertainment, and Other product category finalists

Bluetooth Weight Management Smart Luggage, by Ade Olunaike of TeleLeaf

This innovative Bluetooth ‘smartLuggage’ is self-weighing, uising an integrated weight management system incorporated in the back of a suitcase. To weigh luggage contents, the suitcase is placed on its back. This activates the device, sending the weight signal wirelessly via Bluetooth to a compatible  device such as the Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

A free TeleLeaf application for Apple mobile devices will allow users to set a weight limit and measure it against the actual weight of their luggage as they are loading it. When the weight limit is reached, the device will vibrate or make a sound to alert the user. Airline passengers will no longer have to go through a tedious cycle of ‘lift and weigh’ to discover if their luggage conforms to airline weight restrictions. 

Forget-Me-Not, by Robby Stribley

Forget-Me-Not (FMN) prevents the loss of an object import to its owner. It can be used to locate the lost object when in signal range. FMN is made up of two parts: an app that can be downloaded to a smartphone and a module that uses Bluetooth low energy technology. This module can be incorporated into a device  the owner wants to avoid losing.

FMN could be used in many different types consumer products, especially small devices that people are more likely to lose but really don't want to lose, such as USB memory sticks that may hold valuable data.

Senspods, by Michael Setton

With the help of Senspods, you can combine data from real-time environmental sensors with social networking tools. This can enable more sustainable urban living, provide smart cities with dynamic mapping of environmental features, and help get more people engaged in environmental activism and urban planning.

Senspods has an intuitive interface with single-click, drag-and-drop functionality and links to social networking tools. Sensor data can be sent using Bluetooth low energy technology to wearable displays. Senspods is also integrating solar cells with sensors.

Prizes and Promotional Opportunities

The 2011 Innovator of the Year winner will receive prize money of USD $5,000 and a Bluetooth Qualification Program (QDID) voucher worth USD $5,000 to $10,000. The overall winner will also receive a Bluetooth protocol analyzer from Ellisys.

Finalists and winners will have their ideas and prototypes promoted through the Bluetooth.com website and other marketing channels of the Bluetooth SIG, as well as by WFSGI, Continua Health Alliance, and ispo. They will also receive a Bluegiga starter kit to continue their product development.

The Bluetooth SIG will also help the nine finalists present their idea or prototype at three of the world's largest trade shows:

• The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (January 2012). CES is the world's largest consumer technology trade show.
• MEDICA, the world's largest trade show for the medical industry, in Dusseldorf, Germany (November 2011).
• ispo, the world's leading show for the sports goods industry, in Munich, Germany (January 2012).

Judging Criteria

An international panel of judges will evaluate entries based on these criteria:

Innovation

• Level of innovation (completely new idea vs. enhancements of existing solutions or transfer to new fields of application)
• Innovative combination of different technologies via Bluetooth low energy technology

Implementation

• Technological feasibility of implementing idea
• Exploitation of the unique features of Bluetooth low energy technology
• Potential legal/patent issues
• Potential time to market
• Required investment level

Marketability

• Commercial potential (e.g. target market, retail prize)
• Anticipated demand from end consumers
• Uniqueness in the market

Tools

Good tools can speed up the process of turning your product idea into a functioning prototype. IWC contestants are eligible to buy a Texas Instruments Software Development Kit (SDK) at a 50 percent discount, or get a Freescale Sensor Toolbox free of charge.

Texas Instruments low energy development kit

TI is offering a 50 percent discount on its CC2540 Bluetooth low energy development kit to IWC contest participants who submit a prototype that uses Bluetooth low energy technology. The first 20 entrants can get the kit for free.

Start your Bluetooth low energy-based application design with TI's CC2540DK-MINI development kit.

The kit provides a working reference design for software development of single-mode Bluetooth low energy applications.

The TI kit includes:

• CC2540 USB dongle
• CC2540 keyfob
• 1 CC Debugger with mini USB cable, converter board, and a 10-pin connector cables

The CC2540 Bluetooth low energy stack is downloadable from the web. For more information, visit www.ti.com/bluetoothlowenergy.

Freescale Sensor Toolbox

The Freescale Sensor Toolbox is free to IWC contest entrants. It features unified hardware, software and accessories for sensor applications.

The toolbox provides a customizable selection of sensor development tools, accessories and software from Freescale's portfolio of acceleration, pressure and proximity touch sensors.

These enrich designs with a broad range of capabilities in detecting real-world conditions, such as motion, touch or pressure. For more information, visit Freescale.com.

Bluegiga Starter Kits

Bluegiga Technologies will award starter kits to all nine contest finalists. For more information, visit www.bluegiga.com/bluetooth-low-energy.

Nordic Seminconductor Development Kits

Nordic will also give all nine finalists one of its nRF8001-DK development kits. In addition, the winner in each of the three IWC categories will receive a free trip (for one person) to Nordic headquarters in Trondheim, Norway, with a day of technical training and support.