Newswise — NEW YORK, March 28, 2012 – Ten collegiate teams will be competing for top prizes this June, at the 2012 ASME Innovation Showcase (ASME IShow), an event spotlighting the engineering designs, presentations and entrepreneurial skills of undergraduate and graduate students who represent tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be among the participants in the 6th Annual IShow, set for June 2, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The ASME IShow will be held in conjunction with the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Annual Meeting at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure.

With innovations ranging from a portable braille reader, presented by the Indian Institute of Technology; a newly-designed cervical collar to protect the spine from further injury created by Rice University, and a revolutionary and affordable water purification system developed by Western New England College, each ASME IShow team will present new product concepts that demonstrate their potential to impact lives and improve quality of life around the world.

The winning teams must prove to a judging panel of successful innovators, industry experts and intellectual property specialists that they have a sustainable business model and a product that will bring improvements to the environment or to human health and safety.

“A celebration of engineering, innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, the ASME IShow bridges the gap between the areas of engineering design and business,” said Victoria A. Rockwell, president of ASME. “This competition gives these hardworking and dedicated student teams the inspiration and resources needed to turn their ideas into products that could someday change the world.”

Inspiring students to be product innovators and entrepreneurs, the ASME IShow gives top collegiate teams an opportunity to compete for access to over $20,000 in seed funds to further develop their products along with valuable industry recognition. Prior to the competition the participants will engage in an 8-week training online series with Empact. These video chats will feature the country’s top young entrepreneurs sharing their best practices and lessons learned on a series of topics – intellectual property, market strategy, business writing skills – to help them refine their product, develop a business model, and create a compelling product pitch.

The following teams and products will participate in the 2012 ASME IShow:

Indian Institute of Technology (Portable Braille Reader)Johns Hopkins University (BabyBeats) Johns Hopkins University (QuickStitch)Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Autoclave)Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (LungSmart)Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RenAir)Rice University (FluProof) Rice University (HeadCase)Santa Clara University (Equalizing Distribution Device)Western New England College (The Waterboy 2)

The 2012 ASME IShow is sponsored by MiSUMi USA, a leading supplier of configurable and fixed components for the Factory Automation, Press Die and Plastic Mold industries. The ASME IShow is supported by the ASME Foundation and Mechanical Engineering magazine, the flagship publication of ASME.

For more information on the 2012 ASME IShow, visit the website at www.asme.org/events/competitions/asme-ishow

About ASMEASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.