Researchers Pitch Tiny Technologies to Entrepreneurs at IdeaStream's Innovation Showcase

Tiny technologies figured prominently in the Innovation Showcase, a new segment of the 2004 IdeaStream symposium on April 8.

IdeaStream is an annual event of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation that connects MIT researchers with members of the business community and showcases research likely to impact the marketplace in the next two to four years.

The Innovation Showcase enabled 18 MIT researchers to pitch their ideas to venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs and receive feedback. These ideas ranged from early-stage ideas to spinoff companies. Almost half of them involved nano- and micro-scale innovations, from 3D circuit boards for enhancing electronics to a nano-scale coating for orthopedic artificial joints.

Here are the eight projects, their lead investigators, and the markets they target. For additional information about these and the other projects featured at Innovation Showcase, click here.

Ultra-fast low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch
This innovation could lead to the first commercially viable replacement for solid-state switches, paving the way for next-generation radio frequency products in testing, military radar, and consumer wireless markets. George Barbastathis, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Bridging nano-lithography with industrial production
Much in the same way the printing press revolutionized the creation of reading matter, this nano-contact printing technology could dramatically impact the production of nano-devices. Francesco Stellacci, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Microfluidic platform for high-density multiplexed biological assays
A cheaper, more productive platform for identifying genes and proteins looks promising to capture a share of a $1.5 billion market. Todd Thorsen, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Ionic colloidal crystals: tiny structures with enormous potential
The ability to manufacture ionic colloidal crystals—a new family of materials with fascinating properties—could lead to exciting applications in ultrafiltration, drug delivery, photonic fingerprinting, and numerous other areas. Yet-Ming Chiang, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Integrated, intelligent chemistry systems: revolutionizing the chemical lab
An innovative chemistry system, compact and capable of rapid discovery and development of new products, would revolutionize the chemical laboratoryóand chemical research as we know it. Klavs Jensen, Department of Chemical Engineering

Fast, inexpensive nanolithography: the key enabling technology of the nano era
Nanolithography—a unique technology that can provide nanoscale resolution and fast writing speeds at a lower cost than conventional lithography—could be the key enabling technology for the burgeoning field of nanotechnology. Rajesh Menon, Research Laboratory of Electronics

I-Shield Technologies
I-Shield Technologies develops nano-scale coatings that enhance the longevity of artificial hip and knee joints—an estimated $3.5 billion annual market in the U.S.—and also improve the performance of breast implants. Prem Pavoor, Department of Chemical Engineering

3D circuit boards to enhance electronics at low cost
Three-dimensional printed circuit boards (3D PCBs) would provide better performance than current 2D technology and could capture a substantial portion of the $30 billion annual market in PCBs. Dave Perreault, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science