2015 Create the Future Design Contest: Consumer Products Category Winner

Modular Jet Ski: No Trailer, Affordable, High-Performance

Anders Stubkjaer
BomBoard LLC
Whitewater, WI

“Winning the Consumer Products category proves that true design innovation is not only good looks and high performance, but also designing for reduced weight, low manufacturing costs, and for a disruptive sales and service model that, in total, deliver an exceptional customer experience. This win helps provide the necessary external validation that our business seeks, and we will be sure to wear it proudly as we move to the next phase of our voyage.”

Millions of water enthusiasts have no practical and affordable way to enjoy a high-performance watercraft close to home. Jet skis typically cost over $10,000 and weigh over 800 pounds. Without a lake home or slip, jet skis, jet boards, and boats require trailers that are difficult to store and haul. The BomBoard is the world’s only high-performance jet board/jet ski transportable in the back of a car. The price of $3,995 makes it affordable to millions of action sports enthusiasts.

The BomBoard is capable of speeds of 40 to 50 mph. Its light weight allows for personal involvement with the watercraft while performing sharp turns, stunts, and tricks. It is transportable by one person in the back of a car since it separates into four easily assembled modules. Total weight is 165 pounds, and the heaviest module is 90 pounds.

Modularity (issued patents) is critical, as it enables transportability, common carrier shipment, and selling direct to consumers. The four modules connect while maintaining structural strength, connecting the gas tank and steering arm located on the front module with the engine EFI and steering nozzle located in the power pod.

A clean, 4-stroke, 450-cc motocross engine provides the desired power-to-weight ratio, and alternative hull materials such as EPP foam and plastic are used. Low-unit-cost manufacturing methods such as stampings, castings, and thermoforming were used.

For more information, visit http://contest.techbriefs.com/consumer_winner

Honorable Mentions

Flexolar: Ecological Flashlight

Ronny Sanchez Merino, Universidad Autonoma del Carib, Barranquilla, Colombia

Flexolar is an ecological lantern intended for both indoor and outdoor environments, and uses sunlight as an energy source. Rather than using batteries, it features a composite, flexible ultracapacitor that has numerous thin layers of graphene and silicone. The ultracapacitor stores more energy than a battery, and charges to full capacity in ten minutes. It provides about 40 hours of uninterrupted light. Almost the entire product is a solar panel, and can be rolled into a conventional cylinder-shaped flashlight. It is completely water resistant and can withstand temperatures of -60 to 100 °C.

For more information, visit http://contest.techbriefs.com/flexolar

iBobber Wireless Fishfinder

Alexander Lebedev, ReelSonar Inc., Seattle, WA

The iBobber Castable Bluetooth Smart Fishfinder syncs with a smartphone or tablet and finds fish down to 135 feet. It displays them in two fish sizes: under 15" or over 15". It syncs via Bluetooth with a smart device up to 100 feet away. The device lets users map waterbed contours, GPS-tag hotspots, and log a trip to share on social media. Other features include a lunar calendar, fish and strike alarm, weather sync, LED beacon, and graphics. The device can be casted from a boat, kayak, or shoreline. The rechargeable battery with status lasts up to eight hours with a two-hour recharge time.

For more information, visit http://contest.techbriefs.com/ibobber