The XPrize, ever heard of it? It is a cool prize that not only
inspires commercial entities & individuals/start-ups to push the envelope
but pays creativity and innovation.
I am going to let the basic definition go to the experts, the
XPrize organizations website. “An XPRIZE is a highly leveraged, incentivized
prize competition that pushes the limit of what’s possible to change the world
for the better.”
These areas where they try to expedite change extend from;
·
creating
a tablet based Open Source software that will not only bring the gift of
literacy and all that entails to 250 million children around the world but also
to allow the children to learn to read, write, and perform arithmetic, fully
autonomously.
·
The
Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE that will discover in detail how CO2
emissions are effecting our Oceans and consequently us – Earth’s custodians.
With this knowledge we can begin the healing process.
·
Nokia
- Sensing XCHALLENGE – envisioning a future where digital meets healthcare.
Between sensors & devices a person will gain personalized access to
affordable healthcare. Information collected will provide insights not only to
you about your health but if deemed necessary will communicate that information
to your physician. Perhaps this could save you from that stroke or heart attack
that is just days or hours away!
·
Star
Trek and an awesome device! Following the basic tenants of the previous XPRIZE
this is the bring healthcare to the palm of your hand. Picture this; a wireless
device in your hand that monitors & diagnoses your health conditions.
Basically, a Tricorder.
·
Follow
this $30 million dollar competition to land a privately funded robot on the
moon. TOO COOL!!! (sorry- space is exciting!) Google has funded this
prize and basically just wants to open up the commercialization of space, push
it along, and vastly decrease the cost of access to space.
·
ALSO
very cool as it launched the start of a new private space industry – A &10
million dollar prize funded by the Ansari family (anybody remember Anousheh
Ansari? the first woman to buy a ticket to space, spending an estimated
week-plus at the International Space Station in 2006.)This prize was won in
2006 by, well, hint – their commercial flights to space start this year from
New Mexico, US to 130K in the sky.
·
$2M
to advance reusable/repeated rocket travel to the moon – a sustainable lunar
lander. This showed the power behind a good partnership. Namely that of NASA
&
Northrop Grumman. The fact that this particular prize competition
is over doesn’t mean that the race is over. Won is 2009, NASA together with all
of its commercial partnerships have opened up a new business model Building not
for how much noney can you make today but what neat things can you do today and
possibly get paid tomorrow!
·
In
order to inspire a new generation of super fuel efficient vehicles – a $10
million dollar competition. Did you know that in 2010 this prize was paid by
Progressive Insurance? The prize was shared by 3 teams-Edison2, Li-ion, and
X-Tracer. Lightweight materials & an aerodynamic design and still offering
a design that includes 4 seats and gets 102 miles to the gallon. Really awesome
is that while they didn’t win, teenagers made it almost to the finals proving
that great ideas are born everywhere. AND this prize is gives everyone a
chance! Now, give me one of those automobiles!
·
Awarded
in 2011 – quadrupling the pace of surface oil recovery a $1.4 million dollar
prize was awarded to improve crude oil cleanup from the ocean surface.
**Want to hear about some awesome current prizes? – Well there is
the AI Ted Talk. You’ve heard of Ted.com (who
hasn’t?) Well get ready for this! In March of this year from the stages of Ted.com the gauntlet was thrown down. An A.I.
challenge that begs a robot to walk or roll onto the Ted.com
stage and present a Ted talk so cool and so innovative that it receives a
standing ovation. The rules are still being worked out and you all are invited
to offer your rules to them online (at www.xprize.org
)
You know of the main thing holding so many cool inventions and
causing a black mark on many current ones; the battery. Well, a challenge that
aims to take care of that!
Revolutionary battery technology with greater capacity for storing
energy for everything from small wearable technology to larger electronics.
This is one that can influence a hundred different markets and certainly make
the winner and winner for life! (By the way there are rules – a 300 percent
improvement is necessary!)
ALSO THE TRANSPORTER CHALLENGE. Not what you think. Actually I
don’t know what you think - it wasn’t what I thought! I saw it and thought but
that’s not possible and but another part of my brain said read the next
sentence. It is a challenge for personal flying machines. The winning team will
demonstrate a vehicle that can transport at least one person (plus additional
cargo weight), utilize vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and autonomously
navigate through a three-dimensional course. The vehicle must also demonstrate
the ability to land safely in the event of an emergency, as well as have noise
levels significantly below that of today’s helicopters.
NOW that you have seen the cool ways they innovate and jumpstart
technologies understand how they came to be.
The first XPRIZE was not funded prior to being announced. In 1996
entrepreneur Peter Diamondis offered $10 million to the first privately funded
team that could build & fly into space twice within the period of 2 weeks.
AND the plane had to fit 3 people. Luckily the Ansari family provided the
funding recognizing great promotion of future technologies. That and Ansari
great love for and understanding of the very same. This prize was inspired by
the Orteig Prize of 1919. A prize of $25k was offered by French hotelier
Raymond Orteig to the person who could give the first non-stop flight between
NYC and Paris. In 1927 Charles Lindbergh won the prize in the famed Spirit of
St Louis.
Since the prize has been offered in many areas and succeeded
although one was cancelled due to the realization that it wasn’t actually
improving society. (The genome project-it was seen as detrimental due to people
wanting to use it in a different way.)
ALSO created – the XPRIZE Cup – a rocket challenge. Actually it is
a 2 day Air & Space expo held in New Mexico that began in 2004. Each X
Prize Cup hosts different events and demonstrations, such as rocket-powered
bicycles, rocket jet packs; but particularly notable are the Lunar Lander
Challenge and the Space Elevator Games. 85,000 visitors attended the 2007 X
Prize Cup. Although there was no X Prize Cup in 2009, there was a Lunar Lander
Challenge.
I know this isn’t my usual fare but I really find it awe-inspiring
that unselfish people offer money to make the world a better place.
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