Every year, the editors of R&D Magazine, an Advantage Business Media publication, chooses one individual who demonstrates excellence and creativity in the design, development and introduction into the marketplace of one or more technologically significant products over the past five years.
We extend an invitation to our readers to nominate that individual. Submissions are not limited to the research and development community, but the selection of the winning nomination is the sole responsibility of the editorial staff of R&D Magazine and an appointed panel of judges.
Requirements for an Innovator of the Year:
1 – Must have shown leadership in the development of a product or products to his/her organization within the past five years that must be readily identified as innovative—not evolutionary, trivial, or obvious.
2 – The product development made by the nominee must have made a significant contribution to his/her organization with regard to one or more (but not limited to) of the following items:
• Increased sales
• Increased profitability
• Increased market share
• Increased overall growth for the organization
• Dramatic improvements in product performance or applications
• Dramatic improvements in safety or security
• Dramatic improvements in the sustainability, cost effectiveness, efficiency, or producibility of the product
3 – The product development can consist of an actual hardware-based product, software, process technology, or service.
4 – The product development accomplishments can consist of one or more individual products.
5 – Product development accomplishments can consist of products with applications in any country.
6 – There is no fee for any nominations and submitters may nominate more than one candidate.
7 – Only one nominee will be selected the Innovator of the Year—team awards will not be made.
8 – Selection of winning candidates is made by the editorial staff of R&D Magazine and their decisions are final.
9 – Submitters may nominate more than one candidate. Candidates can self-nominate for the award.
10 – Nominees must be aware that they are being nominated for this award.
11 – The selected nominee must be available for phone interviews to R&D editors for this award (between June 16 – July 15, at a mutually convenient time)
12 – The selected Innovator of the Year will be the subject of the cover story for the August 2008 issue of R&D Magazine.
13 – The selected Innovator of the Year is invited to attend an awards ceremony at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Attendance at this ceremony is not mandatory and travel expenses must be borne by the Innovator of the Year—complementary tickets for the Award’s Banquet Cocktail Reception and Awards Banquet will be provided by R&D Magazine, along with an appropriate Award obelisk, and reprints of the August 2008 cover story.
14 – Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 pm June 16, 2008—no extensions will be made.
15 – The winning Innovator of the Year will be informed no later than June 17, 2008. Non-winning nominations will not be informed, information on the winning candidate can be obtained after June 16, 2008 at 973-920-7061.
To submit for this year’s award, please provide the following information:
1 – Submitter, Title, Organization, Address, and Contact Information
2 – Innovator of the Year nominee, Title, Organization, Address, and Contact Information
3 – Reason why nominee should be selected as R&D’s Innovator of the Year (250 words max)
4 – Nominee bio
5 – Products/Software/Processes/Services developed by the Nominee
6 – Applications and/or purpose of the nominee’s product development (250 words max)
7 – Resulting effect of the nominee’s product development efforts on his/her organization and/or the marketplace.
8 – Professional references with contact information for the nominee (optional)
May 9, 2008
There are roughly 78 million baby boomers in the U.S. and about 8,000 of them turn 60 every day. A small number still have parents, many of whom are in continuing care retirement facilities, which many of the baby boomers themselves will have need of in the future. A number of studies have revealed that, under current situations, there won’t be enough health care workers available in the future to properly take care of the residents in these facilities.
One of the solutions noted was the implementation of robotic systems for many of the routine chores, thereby freeing up the available health care providers to do the more personal and intensive jobs. Other robotic systems have been demonstrated for the in-home care and monitoring of elderly citizens. Health care robotic assistants’ duties include systems for delivery and disposal of materials, infirm patient guidance and tracking, rehabilitation assistants, and overall monitoring and analysis. But while many of these systems have been demonstrated, relatively few have been transitioned into actual products and integrated into health care facilities or available for in-home use.
Likely, the overall costs for the systems including their initial acquisition, maintenance, and monitoring and control networks are still beyond the payback range required by the care facility operators or individuals. Their reliability, especially in power outage situations, also has not been proven. Certainly, the looming volume of potential customers for these products is highly visible and without question, so as to create a marketplace with adequate revenue possibilities and high-volume cost reductions. Regardless, the manufacturers of such systems are not visibly increasing, and the integrations of systems into facilities is meager at best. Indeed, research in robotic health care appears to be increasing in the EU and Japan—who have their own rising levels of senior citizens—faster than it is in the U.S.
Is this going to become a situation where robotic systems needed to take care of our elderly are sourced from suppliers outside the U.S.? These are primarily high-technology products and not commodities, so that the cost advantage for foreign suppliers should not be an issue. It will become primarily a situation of who actually designs and builds these systems and offers them for sale. I sincerely hope that U.S. industry will take advantage of this opportunity to create a new market sector.
Every year, the editors of R&D Magazine, an Advantage Business Media publication, chooses one individual who demonstrates excellence and creativity in the design, development and introduction into the marketplace of one or more technologically significant products over the past five years.
