These snowboard boots remedy the ankle-support problem with a shoelace that wraps around the entire foot, similar to ballet shoes. The boot and the foot are tightly bound together, preventing serious injuries, because this minimizes extra space in the boot. Overlapping sections on the exterior of the boot mimic bandages that are worn underneath ballet shoes for more protection.

Contact: Katherine Bennett: kbid@mac.com

Credit: James Yoo of Art Center College of Design

The product is a low cost, logistically feasible, no touch, open/closed latrine specifically designed for parts of the developing world that squat to defecate, including much of sub-Saharan Africa, India and parts of Southeast Asia. The design also reframes the latrine from a mere defecation location to a renewable source of fertile compost while addressing known user pain points to incentivize use.

Contact: Juan-David Quiñones: reach.me@juanquinones.com

Credit: Juan-David Quiñones of Art Center College of Design

This is the design for a container for people with poor vision, senior citizens whose hands tremble severely, and anyone who complains of inconvenience when refilling shampoo or detergent containers. The upper part of the product package is made of silicon rubber, and has been inverted so that it can play the role of a layer when using refill products.

Contact: Jinsoo Cho: lask3329@nate.com

Credit: Jinsoo Cho and Jiae Moon of Chosun University (South Korea)

Ville is a street bike that answers urban commuter needs.  This bicycle incorporates a folding design that allows for storage in tight areas that are not suitable for standard bikes (such as the office or on a subway).  However, when folded, Ville also doubles as a cart.  The bike then becomes a tool to the user, allowing them to perform tasks such as grocery shopping, which could not be accomplished with a standard bicycle.  This also allows the bicycle to stay with the user, avoiding the need to leave the bike unattended and reducing the risk of theft.

Pico is a presentation companion for those in business and education who deliver presentations regularly.  It is a small, easy-to-use, portable projector that does not need a laptop.  It also has a camera that records every presentation it projects. And because the projector and camera are combined in Pico, it reduces the need to produce single-purpose devices that lack flexibility, lessening the impact on the environment.

Contact: Rene Woo-Ram Lee: wooram.lee@gmail.com

The house for Future Living described here is not a house, per se, but a system of components that can create many houses.  Dwellings created with the system are far more than shelters--they are support systems conceived to help their inhabitants to grow as individuals physically, mentally and emotionally, and mature as members of the community and society.

Contact: Charles Owen: owen@id.iit.edu

This is a mini house for birds, providing small city birds with a shelter.  You can install it in a flower pot on a balcony, or just hang it from a tree branch, making it convenient for both urban and country environments. The shape of the top/bottom of the house is curved, so it can collect the rain water in either hanging from a balcony or a tree branch.

Contact: Phillippe Vahe: philippe.vahe@gmail.com

Credit: Floriane Rousse Marquet of DSK ISD International School of Design (India)

Generally, domestic flush toilets are capable of handling both liquid and solid waste.  However, toilets often get dirty due to occasional urine "splatters."  The 2in1 concept combines the advantages of the flush toilet and the urinal, greater increasing comfort and cleanliness.  

Contact: Sihoe Kim: ide80@naver.com

Credit: Sihoe Kim of Kangwon National University (South Korea)

Common crutches are not suitable for people impaired since birth because they don't have a wide range of choices. Lifelong crutches' height can be controlled as users grow. They lessen back pain from bending over and keep the gap between both sides from widening. The crutches help people move around freely so that they can do what they want without any restriction of movement.

Contact: Beom Sik Yoon: mamison2@naver.com

Credit: Beomsik Yoon, Bohyuk Im, Soonho Jung, Eunsil Mok and Bomi Kim of Chung-ang University (South Korea)

NordicPul outdoor gloves are used for light duty outdoor work during the winter season.  Designed specifically for women, the elastic cord sewn into the top of the glove controls tension around the hand, individually fitting every woman's hand.  The thin layers of Thinsulate and Hipora materials make the glove both flexible and waterproof.  The bright colors and graphic palm design mimic images of winter but also stand out to easily identify.

Contact: Heather Bybee: bybeehe@auburn.edu