The DaVinci Institute held its annual Inventor Showcase on Saturday, November 13, where a large group of inventors demonstrated innovative concepts and products. The event attracted a large crowd of inventors, entrepreneurs and families looking to get a glimpse of what is just around the corner.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Commissioner Robert Stoll provided a keynote address on the importance of patents and the problems currently facing the U.S. Patent Office. Major changes are being implemented to address the record slow time for examining a patent application and registering a patent. This delay is putting United States inventors at a disadvantage and impairing their ability to address the current recession.
Mr. Stoll acknowledged the efforts of local civic leaders to establish a division of the U.S. Patent Office in Colorado and informed the audience that efforts were underway to locate offices in several major cities, but stated that Colorado would not be the first.
A large panel of local media, entrepreneurs and business experts judged invention exhibits. Based upon the voting, the following inventors were recognized:
- Inventor of the Year Award- Jerome Rifkin - Tensegrity Prosthetics is breaking from established technology paradigms in the prosthetics world to create a foot prosthesis that emulates the natural human foot.
- Commercial Product of the Year Award- Ian Osborn - Wild Ideas Light Company provides commercial retrofits for industrial street Lights utilizing LED Technology.
- Consumer Product of the Year Award- Robin Peng - Design Engine, Inc. produces the Applecore Cord Organizer - a patented multi-purpose cord management device made from a thermoplastic elastomer that resembles the shape of an apple core.
- Software Product of the Year Award- Craig Ross - Hybir, Inc. offers a software service that is the easiest and quickest way to backup your whole computer, online and locally.
- Honorable Mention- Eric Johnson - Adaptive Products, LLC produces Adaptive Ink - a full product line of Continuous Ink Supply Systems (CISS) for businesses and consumers.
- Honorable Mention- Gordon Nuttall - Rocky Mountain Ventures produces the Capture-I mobile scanner - a wireless, accurate, and reliable for digital capture of documents and identity information away from the desk.
- Honorable Mention- Roger Toennis - Liquid Media, LLC offers the industry's first consumer-controlled, multi-media advertising experience, giving them complete privacy from the businesses that use Loyal2Me for branding, advertising, marketing and event notification.
- Honorable Mention- Thomas Porte - tugo is a cup holder that keeps your drink suspended between the upright handles of your rolling bag.
The event also provided a great opportunity for networking as participants mixed and met other attendees, inventors and judges.
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