Two recent science prizes for innovative product designs are “Wristify”, winner of MIT’s annual materials-science design competition and the “Titan Arm”,winner of the annual James Dyson Award.

Titan Arm is a battery-powered robotic power-boost designed by four mechanical engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania which could help people with back injuries rebuild and regain control of muscles and could also be used by people to lift heavy objects as part of their work.

“Titan Arm is obviously an ingenious design, but the team’s use of modern, rapid – and relatively inexpensive – manufacturing techniques makes the project even more compelling,” said Sir James Dyson

Wristify is a device which aims to maintain people’s comfortable temperature.   And although the device would be used for personal comfort, the team says the ultimate aim is to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, by cooling and heating the individual — not the building, which would make a huge impact on the amount of energy used in buildings.

It is hoped that the Awards will enable the designers to further develop these products towards production.