innovation and inventions archive

Innovation Night Sept. 12 at MIT Museum - Innovative ideas and technologies from MIT and nearby companies will be on display at Innovation Night at the MIT Museum, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 12. September 12, 2008

Improving people's lives, one device at a time - Using a bicycle wheel to thresh millet and making LEGO-like bricks from dirt were among the projects designed during a month-long summer workshop at MIT to help improve the lives of millions of people living in the world's developing countries. August 8, 2008

MIT Portugal students win entrepreneurship competition - Researchers and students from the MIT Portugal Program hope a new biotechnology they developed will help treat patients with medical complications from abnormal protein breakdown. July 23, 2008

Balance problems? Step into the iShoe - Your grandmother might have little in common with an astronaut, but both could benefit from a new device an MIT graduate student is designing to test balancing ability. July 16, 2008

A hands-on approach to Third World aid - About 60 people from 20 nations will descend on the MIT campus next week to begin an intensive month-long process of creating technological solutions for the needs of people in the world's developing nations. July 10, 2008

Polymer expert wins $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize - For Joseph M. DeSimone, the interface between disparate fields and concepts offers the best opportunity for innovation. For his pioneering inventions, entrepreneurship and mentorship, DeSimone has been awarded the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. June 25, 2008

Lemelson-MIT's EurekaFest to celebrate inventing - EurekaFest at MIT, a multi-day celebration of the power of invention and inventors, will kick off on Thursday, June 26. Organized by the Lemelson-MIT Program, the festival features a series of exciting events in Cambridge and Boston. June 24, 2008

Making a splash in Zaragoza - An MIT-designed building featuring water walls that can be programmed to display patterns and images is being unveiled this week at the opening of the Zaragoza World Expo in Spain. June 12, 2008

Langer wins Millennium Technology Prize - MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer has won the Millennium Technology Prize, the world's largest award for technology innovation, for his development of biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration. June 11, 2008

IDEAS Competition awards - Awards given in the MIT IDEAS Competition for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

Student project innovates solar cooker in Tibet - When two students visited Tibet two years ago, they kept hearing from villagers that a solar cooker that was both lightweight and strong would make a big difference to their lives. So a team of students from MIT and Tibet ended up producing exactly that. June 4, 2008

MIT develops a 'paper towel' for oil spills - A mat of nanowires with the touch and feel of paper, that can absorb up to 20 times its weight in oil, could be an important new tool in the cleanup of oil and other organic pollutants, MIT researchers and colleagues report. May 30, 2008

Incoming frosh numero 'uno' on invention list - Teenager Ben Gulak got a bit of a head start on his training in mechanical engineering. As an incoming freshman at MIT, he's already been featured on the cover of Popular Science magazine for having come up with the year's top invention. May 14, 2008

Innovator receives sustainability award - Dr. Martin Fisher is transforming the lives of poor African farmers through a combination of technological invention and business development. For his work, Fisher has been named the 2008 recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability. April 23, 2008

Seven MIT research teams win Deshpande grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT has announced awards of $500,000 in grants to seven MIT research teams currently working on early stage discoveries, with the aim of providing a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. March 19, 2008

Student work improves amputees' prosthetics - A team of MIT students has been working on a new device that could greatly simplify the process of fitting artificial legs in India, producing a better fit while eliminating some steps in the process and reducing waste materials. March 5, 2008

MIT student targets antibiotic resistance - MIT graduate student and synthetic biologist Timothy Lu has received the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventing processes that promise to combat bacterial infections by enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics at killing bacteria. February 27, 2008

MIT creates gecko-inspired bandage - MIT researchers and colleagues have created a waterproof adhesive bandage inspired by gecko lizards that may soon join sutures and staples as a basic operating room tool for patching up surgical wounds or internal injuries. February 18, 2008

MIT to review U.S. energy technology innovation - A two-year, $2-million grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will enable researchers at MIT to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the energy technology innovation system in the United States. February 7, 2008

Avenue queue: One long wait inspired career shift - Waiting in line isn't what it used to be. A robo-voice tells subway riders when a train is entering the station. Passholders and cash toll-payers don't mix vehicle lanes. Soothing, eh? You can thank Professor Richard Larson for that. February 6, 2008

Students unveil eco-product prototypes - The MIT course assignment was wide open: Design something based on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, and develop it into a prototype product. The results ranged from simple mechanical devices to complex electronic machines. December 18, 2007

MIT launches new global innovation initiative - MIT has announced a new initiative that will strengthen, connect and accelerate its innovation efforts around the globe. The International Innovation Initiative will facilitate future interactions between MIT researchers and the global venture capital community. November 19, 2007

Time magazine honors MIT for inventiveness - Six MIT inventions and two MIT inventors were celebrated as the best of 2007 in Time magazine's annual survey of the world's most promising--and sometimes startling--visions of the future, as seen by scientists, engineers, educators and designers. November 14, 2007

Students get charge out of pedal power - MIT students have come up with a way to recharge your laptop without plugging it in. Rather than consuming electricity, you'll be burning calories--your own--while pedaling a much-altered, electricity-producing exercise bicycle. November 8, 2007

MIT pair honored for biopsy advance - Two MIT graduate students reached the finals of last week's Collegiate Inventors Competition, organized by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, for their work on a device that makes needle biopsies less invasive. November 6, 2007

MIT finishes fourth in DARPA Grand Challenge - MIT's automated Land Rover, packed with computers and electronic sensors, finished fourth in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The MIT vehicle, competing for the first time, was one of only six to complete the challenging 55-mile course. November 5, 2007

MIT's 'robocar' named finalist - Team MIT has made it to the finals of the DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for cars and trucks that run without human help. The goal of the contest is to develop vehicles that can operate on their own in battle and keep humans out of harm's way. November 1, 2007

MIT works toward 'smart' optical microchips - A new theory developed at MIT could lead to "smart" optical microchips that adapt to different wavelengths of light, potentially advancing telecommunications, spectroscopy and remote sensing. November 1, 2007

MIT student inventors: Apply for $30,000 prize - The Lemelson-MIT Program has invited currently enrolled MIT seniors and graduate student inventors to apply for its annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. The application deadline is Dec. 18. October 24, 2007

Deshpande Center announces fall 2007 grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT today announced it is awarding $1,030,000 in grants to ten MIT research teams currently working on emerging technologies. October 22, 2007

A good luck send-off for 'Robocar' - CSAIL Director Victor Zue makes remarks at a send-off barbeque lunch in early October for MIT's self-driving "Robocar." October 17, 2007

Four MIT faculty win NIH awards - Professor Emery Brown will receive a 2007 Pioneer Award from NIH, while Professors Ed Boyden, Alan Jasanoff and Mehmet Fatih Yanik will be honored with New Innovator Awards. All four were cited by NIH for their "exceptionally innovative" research. September 18, 2007

New center to support aspiring entrepreneurs - The firm Legatum announced Aug. 17 a structured gift of $50 million to create a new center at MIT to support aspiring entrepreneurs from the developing world who have a strong commitment to development entrepreneurship. September 17, 2007

She makes it look so easy - Professor Dava Newman made headlines around the world this summer after the MIT News Office promoted the sleek new spacesuit she is developing with colleagues in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. September 12, 2007

iHouse opens its doors to global-minded students - The trajectory of innovation at MIT went outside the lab this year with the grand opening of the International House for Global Leadership. The new residence is geared toward students committed to international development and leadership. September 7, 2007

MIT faculty, alumni among Technology Review's top young innovators - Several MIT faculty and alumni have been named to the TR35, Technology Review Magazine's annual compilation of the 35 top innovators worldwide under the age of 35. August 15, 2007

DARPA names MIT's 'robocar' a semifinalist - An MIT vehicle that effectively drives itself has been selected as a semifinalist in this year's DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for cars and trucks that run without human help. August 9, 2007

Innovators present solutions for developing world - Question: What do a pedal-powered grain mill, a Guatemalan bicycle mechanic, and MIT students have in common? Answer: The first International Development Design Summit, where participants have been busy solving problems in the developing world. August 7, 2007

MIT team designs sleek, skintight spacesuit - Professor Dava Newman is working on an advanced spacesuit designed to allow superior mobility when humans eventually reach Mars or return to the moon. The prototype BioSuit is not your grandfather's spacesuit--more Spiderman, less John Glenn. July 16, 2007

Making a difference in the developing world - This weekend more than 50 people from 16 countries arrive at MIT for the first International Development Design Summit. They aim to create solutions to problems faced by those in developing countries--and send participants home with prototypes. July 13, 2007

'Digital water' walls this new MIT-designed building - MIT architects and engineers have designed a building featuring liquid curtains for walls, and it will be unveiled at next year's international exhibition in Spain. Its walls can be programmed to display images or messages and part to let people through. July 10, 2007

Drivers Unwanted: MIT 'Robocar' takes a spin - A team of MIT faculty and researchers are working toward what could be the car of the future: a vehicle that drives itself, with people as passengers. Their vehicle took a driving test last week during a visit by officials from the DARPA Urban Challenge competition. June 28, 2007

Civil engineers pump energy into machines - Students in the Intro to CEE Design class this spring built Rube Goldberg-type thingamajigs that whir, spin, and harvest kinetic energy. The projects illustrated not only principles of mechanics and physics, but also the potential for energy efficient machines. June 22, 2007

InvenTeams devices support health and care - InvenTeams from across the nation congregate on MIT's campus June 20-22 for the 2007 Odyssey--the finale event to showcase and present invention prototypes. At the forefront are electronic devices to assist differently-abled people. June 20, 2007

Ideas competition awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

MIT students build bike for disabled kids - A team of MIT students in Course 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes) built the Revolution bicycle, designed to help developmentally disabled children learn to ride a bike. June 6, 2007

Shannon collection shows wit and whimsy - Known as the father of digital communications and information theory, late MIT professor Claude E. Shannon spent his spare time inventing clever, toy-like devices for fun. Among the creations are a chess machine and a juggling W.C. Fields. May 30, 2007

EurekaFest kicks off - The Lemelson-MIT Program, in partnership with the Museum of Science, Boston, kicks off EurekaFest, a multiday celebration of activities to fuel the inventive spirit. EurekaFest events will be held May 2-5 at MIT and the Museum of Science. May 1, 2007

Device draws cells close--but not too close--together - On a microscopic level, coaxing cells to be very, very close without actually touching one another has been among the most frustrating challenges for cell biologists. MIT researchers have solved the problem with a novel device. April 4, 2007

Swager wins $500K Lemelson-MIT Prize - Timothy M. Swager, head of the Department of Chemistry, is the winner of the $500,000 2007 Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing sensors that detect vapors of common bomb-making chemicals such as TNT. April 2, 2007

Robotic brace aids stroke recovery - At age 32, Maggie Fermental suffered a stroke that left her right side paralyzed. After a year and a half of conventional therapy with minimal results, she tried a new kind of robotic therapy developed by MIT engineers. March 20, 2007

Seven research teams win Deshpande grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT has announced it is awarding $628,000 in grants to seven MIT research teams. March 14, 2007

Student-run Energy 2.0 focuses on innovation - The 2007 MIT Energy Conference, "Energy 2.0: Solving Tomorrow's Energy Challenges through Entrepreneurship, Technology & Policy," attracted 550 energy professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics and graduate students. March 13, 2007

Clean energy inspires Norwegian entrepreneur - The fact that darkness prevails over northern Norway for months at a time did not stop Norwegian entrepreneur Alf Bjørseth from starting a solar energy company. March 7, 2007

Lemelson winner designs for public safety - Nathan Ball, graduate student in mechanical engineering and this year's winner of the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, has invented a device that makes the fantasy of leaping tall buildings in a single bound come close to reality. February 14, 2007

New DUE office will support innovation - The Office of Educational Innovation and Technology (OEIT) has been established as part of the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education (DUE) as an important step toward supporting and sustaining educational innovation at MIT. February 14, 2007

Flow of tiny bubbles mimics computer circuitry - In work that could dramatically boost the capabilities of "lab on a chip" devices, MIT researchers have created a way to use tiny bubbles to mimic the capabilities of a computer while also performing chemical reactions. February 8, 2007

MIT 'optics on a chip' may revolutionize electronics - In work that could lead to completely new devices, systems and applications in computing and telecommunications, MIT researchers are bringing the long-sought goal of "optics on a chip" one step closer to market. February 6, 2007

Nanocomposites yield strong and stretchy fibers - Creating artificial substances that are both stretchy and strong has long been an elusive engineering goal. Inspired by spider silk, MIT researchers have now devised a way to produce a material that begins to mimic this combination of desirable properties. January 18, 2007

iCampus collaboration celebrates innovation - The seven-year, $25 million iCampus partnership between MIT and Microsoft, which has borne fruit across the globe by facilitating progress in educational technology, was celebrated with a symposium at MIT Dec. 1 and 2. December 8, 2006

iCampus products include plush robo-pet - The iCampus celebration featured not only a symposium to honor the MIT-Microsoft alliance, but also live demonstrations of educational technology initiatives that emerged from the seven-year partnership. December 8, 2006

Marshall Scholar focuses on technology, altruism - Graduate student Finale Doshi, a campus leader with an extensive record of service to the Institute and the world, has been awarded a Marshall Scholarship for study at the University of Cambridge for 2007. December 5, 2006

Lemelson-MIT announces InvenTeams grants - The Lemelson-MIT Program has awarded grants of up to $10,000 each to 20 'InvenTeams'--teams of high school students and teachers across the country who have invented practical solutions to real-world problems of their own choosing. October 26, 2006

Student inventors: Apply for the Lemelson $30K - The Lemelson-MIT Program invites MIT student inventors to apply for its annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. October 16, 2006

Deshpande Center announces innovation grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT has announced the awarding of $488,000 in grants to six MIT research teams working on discoveries related to energy storage, health sciences and wireless networks. October 11, 2006

Sun and new fuels power student vehicles - Students from 21 universities around the world gathered at MIT this summer to design and build commuter vehicles that exploit human power, bio-fuels, solar technologies and fuel cells to travel at least 500 miles per gallon of fuel. August 14, 2006

eLens: A digital take on the streets where we live - A walk down the street may someday be as rich with information as the web, thanks to the emergence of location-aware technology. Not surprisingly, MIT is at the vanguard of this movement with a project called Electronic Lens (eLens). August 11, 2006

Forum to spotlight personalized medicine - Vaccine development and personalized medicine are on the agenda for representatives from industry, academia and government who will be attending an MIT forum on Aug. 17. August 10, 2006

High school students showcase inventions - The Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Odyssey, held at MIT in mid-June with 18 teams of high school students, offered a glimpse of what future generations of inventors might look like, provided the right encouragement and opportunities. June 28, 2006

Lemelson program revamps prizes to inspire inventors - The Lemelson-MIT Program announced this week that it will refocus the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, the largest cash prize given in the United States for invention, to help bring inventions from younger, midcareer researchers into use. June 22, 2006

Beetle spawns new material - Inspired by a dime-sized beetle, MIT researchers have produced a new material that can capture and control tiny amounts of water. Potential applications include harvesting water, creating cooling devices and decontamination. June 14, 2006

Student summit set on vehicle design - Seventy-three students from 21 universities around the world will gather at MIT from June 13-Aug. 13 to design and build between five and 10 commuter vehicles that travel at least 500 miles per gallon of fuel. June 14, 2006

Invention exhibit slated for June 15 - Eighteen Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams, composed of high school students, teachers and mentors, will showcase their invention prototypes at MIT's Kresge Auditorium on Thursday, June 15, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  June 14, 2006

IDEAS Competition awards - 2006 Awards listings. June 7, 2006

Students win grant for Lesotho solar generator - Two MIT graduate students in civil and environmental engineering have won a 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace grant to develop a solar micro-generator that would provide affordable energy to Lesotho. June 5, 2006

Freshmen automate dorm room - Little by little, freshmen Zack Anderson and R.J. Ryan, residents of East Campus, have turned an ordinary, standard-issue dorm room into something extraordinary: a fully automated pad. May 24, 2006

MIT poet develops 'seeing machine' - An MIT poet has developed a small, relatively inexpensive "seeing machine" that can allow people who are blind, or visually challenged like her, to access the Internet, view the face of a friend, "previsit" unfamiliar buildings and more. May 23, 2006

MIT teams rewarded for innovation - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation has awarded $500,000 in grants to seven MIT research teams working on discoveries that could revolutionize drug development and delivery, surgical procedures and trauma care, safety products in sports, and water purification processes, among others. May 10, 2006

Deshpande Center selects Sandler - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT has named Leon Sandler its new executive director. Sandler takes on the executive director role with more than 25 years experience in general management, marketing, finance and business development. May 8, 2006

Lemelson-MIT awards prizes for innovation - The Lemelson-MIT Program announced today that its $500,000 prize will be presented to James Fergason, whose work with liquid crystals paved the way for multiple innovations, including digital watches and computer monitors. May 3, 2006

MIT makes move toward vehicles that morph - Picture a bird, effortlessly adjusting its wings to catch every current of air. Airplanes that could do the same would have many advantages over today's flying machines, including increased fuel efficiency. March 22, 2006

Building a better wheelchair - A graduate student in mechanical engineering spent last summer assessing wheelchair technology and availability in Tanzania -- a country where only 3 percent of those who need a wheelchair can get one. March 21, 2006

Young inventors to gather at MIT - MIT's Public Service Center will host the first United States-based Young Inventors Inventing the Future Conference on March 4. February 24, 2006

Sky's no limit for Lemelson winner - The 28-year-old winner of this year's Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, MIT doctoral candidate Carl Dietrich, now has an extra $30,000 to help him get his personal flying machine off the ground. February 15, 2006

Inventors Hall of Fame to induct 2 professors - Two MIT professors--Robert Langer and Ali Javan--have been named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the hall announced on Wednesday, Feb. 8. February 9, 2006

Deshpande Center searching for ideas - The Deshpande Center is providing the opportunity for MIT faculty members, research staff and students to pitch their innovative technology ideas at its annual IdeaStream Symposium on April 13. February 1, 2006

IAP: Class targets landmine removal - Andrew Heafitz, winner of the 2002 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for Inventiveness, is challenging students to clean up the cruelest litter of war in two back-to-back IAP sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the Edgerton Center. January 17, 2006

Survey gauges teens' view of tech future - Gasoline-powered automobiles, compact discs and desktop computers are headed toward the technology scrap heap, according to a recent survey of American teenagers conducted by the 2006 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index. January 12, 2006

Calling all inventors - The Lemelson-MIT Program invites inventors to apply for its annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. All currently enrolled MIT seniors and graduate students are eligible, regardless of area of study. December 7, 2005

Innovation Week fosters networking, competition - Idea sharing, business planning, competition and even LEGO® toys will be part of the third annual Innovation Week, which runs through Dec. 6. November 29, 2005

Deshpande Center awards $600,000 - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT recently awarded $600,000 in grants to researchers working on such projects as growing human liver cells for drug testing and creating a new material for computer displays. November 9, 2005

GEM4 shines in launch event - In a launch Oct. 12 worthy of its sparkling acronym, the Global Enterprise for Micro-Mechanics and Molecular Medicine, or GEM4, brought to MIT people from 12 time zones away, many university presidents, leaders of government, and Thai royalty. October 13, 2005

Initiative will address global medical challenges - A pioneering international collaboration among premier researchers and world-class institutions designed to bring the advances of engineering, science and nanotechnology to bear on major medical and public health issues launches Oct. 12 at MIT. October 12, 2005

Draper Tech Expo open Oct. 5-6 - MIT faculty and students are invited to visit Draper Lab's Technology Exposition to see Draper projects and technologies and discuss them with staff members. October 5, 2005

MIT chosen for national role fighting cancer - The National Cancer Institute announced Monday it has chosen MIT and Harvard University to share one of seven national, multi-institutional hubs it is establishing to rapidly advance the application of nanotechnologies to cancer research. October 4, 2005

Deshpande Center issues call - MIT's Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation has issued a call for proposals for its spring 2006 round of grants. September 28, 2005

Langer talk highlights cancer symposium - Though his drug delivery systems are now widely lauded, MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer faced an uphill battle getting funding, he told a crowd gathered for the June 24 symposium, "The New Science of Cancer Therapy." June 30, 2005

Watermelons and robots fuel student imaginations - Given $10,000 and nine months, 13 teams of high school students participating in an MIT-based program designed inventions to solve problems ranging from testing a watermelon's ripeness to retrieving tennis balls. June 16, 2005

InvenTeams event slated - Students and teachers from the 2005 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams will come to MIT for the InvenTeams Odyssey, an event to highlight their work. June 1, 2005

DuPont backs MIT research with additional $25M - DuPont Chief Technology Officer Thomas M. Connelly Jr. joined MIT President Susan Hockfield and Provost Robert A. Brown on May 18 to announce continued funding of the DuPont MIT Alliance (DMA), a research program focused on creating innovative, next-generation materials. May 19, 2005

Engineering success story - Adjunct Professor Ernesto Blanco of mechanical engineering displayed some of his inventions in the department's first-floor lounge. May 4, 2005

Creator of DRAM wins Lemelson-MIT award - Proving that a little chip can go a long way, Robert Dennard will receive the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award for having come up with a way to arrange transistors and capacitors onto a single silicon chip. April 21, 2005

Inventor earns prize for sound thinking - The next time you think you hear voices in your head, you may be right, thanks to Elwood "Woody" Norris, the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventions such as the sound-focusing HyperSonic Sound. April 18, 2005

Intelligent plastics change shape with light - Picture a flower that opens when facing the sunlight. In work that mimics that sensitivity to light, an MIT engineer and his German colleagues have created the first plastics that can be deformed and temporarily fixed into shape by light. April 13, 2005

HST student wins Lemelson Prize - David Berry, a 27-year-old M.D./Ph.D. student, received the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for his inventive research with a new protein and a common coagulant that may help both stroke and cancer patients. February 16, 2005

25 years of really cool stuff - CNN collaborated with the Lemelson-MIT Program to produce a show about the top 25 innovations of the past quarter-century. January 26, 2005

Vacant looks could be Eureka! moments - Nearly 20 percent of American adults say they think most creatively in their cars, according to the 2005 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index study. January 12, 2005

Energy products focus of 2.009 students - Mechanical engineering seniors designed and built prototypes of products united by the theme of energy--alternative, conservation or clean--in just three months this term in 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes). December 15, 2004

Research aims to restore amputee limb function - An MIT professor and colleagues from Brown University and the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center have begun a five-year, multidisciplinary research project to restore arm and leg function to amputees. December 10, 2004

Ford partnership drives results at MIT - The multimillion Ford-MIT Alliance that began in 1997 now has linked MIT and Ford researchers on more than 80 research projects including climate research, a new CAD modeling concept and voice recognition for automobiles. November 10, 2004

Innovation grant program expanded - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, which aims to link laboratory research at MIT to the marketplace, has just announced that its spring 2005 call for proposals will be open to all MIT faculty members. October 26, 2004

Deshpande Center Fall 2004 projects - MIT's Deshpande Center has awarded eight grants in its fall round that support a wide range of emerging technologies: cancer detection, nanofabrication, wireless communication, fuel cells, database management, chemical lab design, infrared sensors and ice-cream making. October 26, 2004

Alumni make heels for pain-free fashion - Love the look of high heels, but can't stand the pain? MIT alumni Brian G.R. Hughes and Paul Rudovsky believe an injection of high-tech engineering called Insolia may be just what the foot doctor ordered. September 29, 2004

I-Teams course readies technologies for market - Graduate students who dream of bringing technologies from the test tube to the market can learn how to do it in a new hands-on course called "i-Teams." September 28, 2004

Technology Review names editor - Jason Pontin has joined Technology Review, MIT's Magazine of Innovation, as editor-in-chief. The announcement was made June 21 by R. Bruce Journey, president and CEO of Technology Review, Inc. June 24, 2004

High schoolers show off inventions - From the beaches of Miami to the mountains of Alaska, high school students will journey to MIT June 18-19 to demonstrate their new inventions, which range from sea level (a pothole detector) to the sky--a miniature robotic helicopter for use in mountain ranges. June 17, 2004

IDEAS - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Students pedal exercise - The key to success with exercise has little to do with your fitness goals, say MIT students who have created a motivational video exercise game. May 5, 2004

Radar research to fight cancer - A breast cancer treatment based on MIT radar research that was originally intended to detect space-borne missiles is showing promise in the final phase of clinical testing. April 28, 2004

Lemelson-MIT prizes announced - Nick Holonyak, inventor of the LED, and Edith Flanigen, a pioneer in chemistry and materials science, have won Lemelson-MIT prizes. April 28, 2004

Lemelson-MIT prizes announced - Nick Holonyak, inventor of the LED, and Edith Flanigen, a pioneer in chemistry and materials science, have won Lemelson-MIT prizes. April 21, 2004

Report urges U.S. push for innovation - The United States cannot take its position as the world leader of invention for granted, according to a new report prepared by the Lemelson-MIT Program. April 21, 2004

Biotech and nanotech deals - Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation announces at IdeaStream symposium a startup focused on drug delivery and biomaterials and the licensing of memory cell nanotechnology. April 14, 2004

Innovation grants to eight faculty - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation issues grants to engineering faculty members for work ranging from low-cost medical devices to microfluidics. April 7, 2004

Innovation grants to eight faculty - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation issues grants to engineering faculty members for work ranging from low-cost medical devices to microfluidics. April 2, 2004

Mini satellites readied - Three MIT satellites resembling brightly colored volleyballs await a trip May 19 to the International Space Station as part of a student research project. March 31, 2004

Rocket-launched photo system wins ISN contest - The challenges that American soldiers are facing in Iraq were foremost on everyone's minds at the final judging of MIT's first annual Soldier Design Competition. February 25, 2004

'Tools of mass construction' - Doctoral candidate Saul Griffith, whose inventions include a "desktop printer" for low-cost eyeglass lenses, has received the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. February 25, 2004

Rocket-launched photo system wins ISN contest - The challenges that American soldiers are facing there were foremost on everyone's minds at the final judging of MIT's first annual Soldier Design Competition. February 19, 2004

'Tools of mass construction' - Doctoral candidate Saul Griffith, whose inventions include a "desktop printer" for low-cost eyeglass lenses, has received the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. February 19, 2004

Student dances with robots - Sommer Gentry is investigating the complex haptic communication behind the often-improvised moves in swing dancing. February 4, 2004

Student dances with robots - Some call it swing dancing. Others call it a highly evolved system of communication and control via haptic signaling. An MIT grad student calls it both. February 4, 2004

Nanoruler could have wide impact - An MIT device that makes the world's most precise rulers -- with "ticks" only a few hundred billionths of a meter apart -- could impact many scientific fields. February 2, 2004

Cell phone most hated - Nearly one in three adults say the cell phone is the invention they most hate but cannot live without, according to Lemelson-MIT Invention Index study. January 28, 2004

Nanoruler could have wide impact - An MIT device that makes the world's most precise rulers -- with "ticks" only a few hundred billionths of a meter apart -- could impact many scientific fields. January 28, 2004

Cell phone hated invention - Nearly one in three adults say the cell phone is the invention they most hate but cannot live without, according to the eighth annual Lemelson-MIT Invention Index study. January 21, 2004

Climate data gathered - NASA has approved an MIT-led project that will measure soil moisture from space. January 14, 2004

Figuring it all out - About 30 people showed up for Craig Watkins' annual IAP class on how to use a slide rule. January 14, 2004

Measurement within grasp - NASA has approved an MIT-led project that will measure soil moisture from space, providing data needed to assess the impacts of global change. January 12, 2004

Hawley creates largest book - Michael Hawley of the MIT Media Lab made publishing history Monday with the release of the largest book ever published, as certified by Guinness World Records. December 17, 2003

Inventions get grants from Deshpande Center - The MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation has awarded six Ignition grants and seven Innovation Program grants totaling $1.3 million to support emerging technologies. October 29, 2003

MIT Solar team shines in Australia - The MIT Solar Electric Vehicle team finished third in the seventh 3,000-kilometer World Solar Challenge open class race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia. October 29, 2003

Cancer gene found - MIT researchers report a new reason why mutations in the BRCA gene affect a tumor-suppressor protein that plays an important role in repairing damaged DNA. October 29, 2003

HS students receive grants - Teams of students at 10 U.S. high schools will create inventions that benefit their schools or communities using grants from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams program. October 22, 2003

Plasmatron could cut emissions - A bus in Indiana is the latest laboratory for MIT's plasmatron reformer, a small device its developers believe could significantly cut the nation's oil consumption. October 22, 2003

Lemelson-MIT makes grants - Teams of students at 10 U.S. high schools will create inventions that benefit their schools or communities using grants from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams program. October 21, 2003

HexFlex manipulates cables - HexFlex, developed by MIT inventors led by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Martin Culpepper, has won a 2003 R&D 100 Award. October 1, 2003

MIT's HexFlex manipulates the nanoscopic - Using a fundamentally new design, an MIT team has invented the HexFlex Nanomanipulator that's not only inexpensive but performs better in many ways than its competitors. September 30, 2003

ISN projects include waterproof, antibacterial fabric - At the beginning of an Institute for Soldier Nanaotechnologies four-day annual review, MIT scientists gave highlights of ISN research in three key areas: protection, injury intervention and cure, and performance improvement. September 24, 2003

Biggest chill achieved - MIT scientists have cooled a sodium gas to the lowest temperature ever recorded--only half-a-billionth of a degree above absolute zero. September 17, 2003

Devices to help diagnose - An MIT interdepartmental laboratory has received $7.2 million from NIH to further its work on devices that can detect and image precancerous cells noninvasively. September 17, 2003

Project Prakash sheds light - Pawan Sinha, assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, traveled to India this summer as part of Project Prakash ("light" in Sanskrit). August 27, 2003

Sloan to introduce Fellows Program - Sloan is redefining the future of executive education with the introduction of a new degree program--the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership. July 21, 2003

IDEAS awards - Seven invention ideas won awards at the second annual IDEAS Competition for innovations that help the community. June 4, 2003

Deshpande event lauded - Gov. Mitt Romney delivered the keynote address at the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation's first IdeaStream Symposium at the Museum of Science. May 21, 2003

MIT to mimic spider silk - As a fiber, spider silk is so desirable that scientists, including a team at MIT, have spent decades trying to find a way to mimic it. May 7, 2003

Lemelson awards won - The man credited with changing the course of biology and revolutionizing our understanding of genetics has received the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. April 30, 2003

Toy is a joy in symphony premiere - Composer Tod Machover joined Boston-area children to offer some wild and whimsical lessons in music-making as they performed Machover's Toy Symphony. April 30, 2003

Lemelson-MIT Prizes awarded - Leroy Hood and William P. Murphy Jr. were presented with the Lemelson-MIT Program awards on April 24 at the JFK Library and Museum in Boston. April 25, 2003

Concept car revs up interest - Fifteen students enrolled in the IAP subject "Solutions for Mobility in the 21st Century" visited a Lufthansa factory discussed cars of the future. March 12, 2003

Hydrogen vehicle not viable - The hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle will not be better than the diesel hybrid in terms of total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. March 5, 2003

McLurkin wins Lemelson - Graduate student James McLurkin is the winner of the ninth $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. February 26, 2003

Eco cars and reality - To develop the eco-friendly car of the future, the US must continue to improve mainstream automotive technologies, said John B. Heywood. February 12, 2003

Center offers workshop - The Deshpande Center is planning its first faculty workshop on starting a company on Wednesday, Feb. 5. January 29, 2003

Center offers workshop for entrepreneurial faculty - Demolition of the East Garage got under way on Wednesday, June 25. Material from the garage will be recycled. January 28, 2003

Toothbrush most needed invention - The 2003 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, an annual survey of Americans' perceptions about inventing and innovating, found that technologically advanced items significantly lag in importance behind the toothbrush. January 21, 2003

Inexpensive glasses: sight for poor eyes - Saul Griffith has invented a machine to make low-cost prescription eyeglass lenses for people in the developing world who can't afford them now. December 18, 2002

Lemelson prize seeks applicants - The Lemelson-MIT Program invites MIT students to apply for the annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness before the Jan. 10 deadline. December 4, 2002

Deshpande Center grants - The Deshpande Center issued its first $1.25 million in Ignition Program and Innovation Program grants last week. November 6, 2002

Rechargeable batteries - MIT researchers have transformed a relatively common material, lithium iron phosphate, into one with handsome potential for the next generation of rechargeable batteries in electric cars and other devices. October 30, 2002

MIT team studies hurricanes - The following story is adapted from one that appeared in the spring 2002 issue of Two If By Sea, a joint newsletter of the MIT and WHOI Sea Grant programs. October 30, 2002

Inventor teams funded by Lemelson Program - Three New England high school teams have been chosen as the inaugural recipients of grants of up to $10,000 from theLemelson-MIT Program. October 30, 2002

Material could impact batteries - MIT researchers have transformed a relatively common material, lithium iron phosphate, into one with handsome potential for the next generation of rechargeable batteries in electric cars and other devices. October 23, 2002

Lemelson-MIT Program funds high school teams - Three New England high school teams have been chosen as the inaugural recipients of grants of up to $10,000 from the Lemelson-MIT Program. October 17, 2002

Deshpande Center supports diverse projects - Converting an ordinary microscope into a 3-D imaging system and helping stroke patients rehabilitate faster are among the projects supported by the Deshpande Center's first round of grants totalling $1.25M. October 16, 2002

IT to become a utility? - Customers will acquire computing power in the future by turning on the tap, according to Louis Gerstner, chair of IBM. October 16, 2002

Fading burst - Scientists have captured the optical afterglow of a gamma-ray burst just nine minutes after the explosion. October 9, 2002

MIT's robotic helicopter performs new stunt - A team of MIT researchers looked on recently as the pilot of their model X-Cell 60 helicopter flipped a switch on a remote control box. October 9, 2002

Fading gamma-ray burst observed - Scientists have captured the optical afterglow of a gamma-ray burst just nine minutes after the explosion, by the High-Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) satellite developed by an MIT-led international team. October 8, 2002

Virtual telescope - An international collaboration of astronomers including those at MIT's Haystack Observatory have created an Earth-sized virtual radio telescope capable of detecting never-before-seen features of the universe. October 2, 2002

Size counts - An exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution featuring MIT graduate student McLurkin and his robotic ants. September 30, 2002

New source of energy is closer - A 150-ton magnet developed in part by MIT engineers is pulling the world closer to nuclear fusion as a potential source of energy. September 25, 2002

Innovation is key, says Vest - "Innovation - and all the issues and challenges surrounding it - must become a first-tier economic policy imperative for our nation," MIT President Charles M. Vest told President Bush's economic forum in Waco, Texas. August 23, 2002

Vest speaks to economic panel - MIT President Charles M. Vest told President Bush's economic forum in Waco, Texas that innovation is the key to our future and our competitive advantage. August 23, 2002

IDEAS competition names winners - This year marked the first year of the IDEAS Competition, a design competition targeted at innovations that help the community. June 5, 2002

Maryland student wins apprenticeship - Kavita Shukla has won the Lemelson-MIT Program 's fourth annual high school invention apprenticeship. June 5, 2002

MIT affiliates dominate TR100 list - MIT affiliates once again make up about a quarter of the TR100, a list of the world's top innovators under age 35 published in Technology Review. June 5, 2002

MIT, RISD and UTC create prototypes - More than 200 well-wishers looked on as the 13 teams demonstrated the new product prototypes, the culmination of 15 weeks of hard work. May 22, 2002

Jet needs closer inspection - The flight risk of Airbus' A300-600 jet needs closer inspection, says Professor James H. Williams Jr. May 8, 2002

Panelists explore technology in Asia - MIT panelists and their counterparts in Singapore swept aside an almost 13-hour time difference with a live seminar on "Innovation Technology in a New Asia." May 8, 2002

Suture with memory developed - A smart suture that ties itself into the perfect knot kicks off the first of many potential medical applications for new biodegradable plastics with "shape memory." May 1, 2002

Smart suture polymer - A smart suture that ties itself into the perfect knot kicks off the first of many potential medical applications for new biodegradable plastics with "shape memory". April 25, 2002

Two awared Lemelsons - Medical technology pioneer Dean Kamen and Ruth Rogan Benerito, inventor of wash-and-wear fabric win Lemelsons. April 24, 2002

Photonic fabrics - MIT researchers have created high-performance mirrors in the shape of hair-like flexible fibers that could be woven into cloth or incorporated in paper. April 23, 2002

Software saves airlines money - New software being adopted by United Airlines could save the company as much as $25 million annually, say the MIT and University of Florida researchers responsible for the program. March 27, 2002

Deshpande Center faculty director - Professor Charles L. Cooney has been named faculty director of MIT's new Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, effective March 1. March 20, 2002

Heafitz wins Lemelson-MIT Student Prize - The Lemelson-MIT Program held a press conference last week to present Andrew Heafitz, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, with the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. March 13, 2002

Design contest winners announced - Gweneth Newman and Katherine Anderson, two students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, won the MIT/Environmental Protection Agency Design Competition to develop stormwater management plans. February 27, 2002

Design showcase - The MIT chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical and computer engineering honor society, sponsored its first annual student invention expo on Jan. 29. February 6, 2002

Contest seeks inventions - An event to launch a competition sponsored by Innovation, Development, Enterprise, Action and Service (IDEAS) , a new student program at MIT, will be held Feb. 7). February 6, 2002

Computer top invention for teens - Annual survey of Americans' perceptions about inventing and innovating show teens value computers and wireless devises far more than their parents. February 6, 2002

MIT unveils center for N.E. tech innovation - The Deshpande Center will support leading-edge research in collaboration with regional high tech and venture capitalist sectors. January 9, 2002

MIT unveils center for N.E. tech innovation - The Deshpande Center will support leading-edge research in collaboration with regional high tech and venture capitalist sectors. January 3, 2002

Berners-Lee wins Japan Prize for WWW - Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of WWW, has been awarded the prestigious Japan Prize for 2002 in the field of computing and computational science and engineering. December 17, 2001

Inventors discuss inspiration - Inventors whose dreams transformed computing, medicine and consumer products named Aristotle, Bob Dylan, Thomas Edison, Galileo, Marvin Minsky, Isaac Newton and Judah Folkman as their personal heroes. December 5, 2001

Device to aid production of electricity - MIT scientist and colleague have invented a semiconductor technology that could allow efficient, affordable production of electricity from a variety of energy sources without turbine, similar generator. November 27, 2001

Tips for successful virtual collaborations - An interdisciplinary MIT team has identified key factors for successful virtual collaborations among members of globally dispersed teams, and continues work to make virtual meetings more effective. November 5, 2001

MIT instrument wins award - The MIT inventor of an instrument that will aid efforts to store radioactive wastes in stable glass has been honored with a 2001 R&D 100 Award. October 31, 2001

Instrument monitors molten materials - The MIT inventor of an instrument that will aid efforts to store radioactive wastes in stable glass has been honored with a 2001 R&D 100 Award. October 29, 2001

MIT lab creates robotic dinosaur - If Peter Dilworth gets his wish, children may one day be able to view walking -- and perhaps running -- 3-D recreations of small dinosaurs. May 21, 2001

AI Lab creates dinosaur - If Peter Dilworth gets his wish, children may one day be able to view walking -- and perhaps running -- three-dimensional recreations of small dinosaurs. May 16, 2001

Lemelson-MIT awards given - The Lemelson-MIT Program announced yesterday that its $500,000 prize will be presented to Raymond Kurzweil (SB 1970). The seventh annual Lifetime Achievement Award went to Raymond Damadian. April 25, 2001

MIT pioneers online lab - MIT students can now test and probe fragile, microscopic electronic structures using a novel online lab that can be accessed from dorm rooms and other convenient locations. March 14, 2001

Innovations showcased - IdeaStream was developed to give venture capitalists "the opportunity to exchange ideas with MIT faculty who are creating the intellectual capital and innovations that are fueling next-generation technologies." March 8, 2001

Online lab in microelectronics - MIT students can now test and probe fragile, microscopic electronic structures via WebLab, a novel online lab that can be accessed from dorm rooms and other convenient locations. March 6, 2001

Hubert wins Lemelson Prize - MIT graduate student Brian Hubert of Yakima, WA has been awarded the seventh annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. February 28, 2001

Driving Miss Daisy into MIT - Researchers and MIT Facilities workers have matched the ingenuity of the hackers who placed a police car on the Great Dome in 1994. February 22, 2001

MIT grad student wins Lemelson - MIT graduate student Brian Hubert of Yakima, Wash. has been awarded the seventh annual $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventiveness. February 16, 2001

Inventors respected by teens - Traditionally stereotyped as brainy geeks with coke-bottle glasses, inventors have seldom won teen popularity contests. January 10, 2001