LuminAR Places the Internet Anywhere

Published Jul-24-10

Breakthrough:
MIT graduate student Natan Linder developed the LuminAR, a digital bulb that can project the internet onto any surface.

Company:
Natan Linder, United States

The Story:

The Tony Stark Innovation Challenge chose MIT graduate student Natan Linder as the winner of its open innovation challenge.

Linder's invention, the LuminAR is a digital bulb with built-in internet technology that can project web content onto any surface by using a robotic lamp arm, essentially turning it into a mobile internet projector.

Linder's video received 132,112 views on YouTube, outranking any other submission received.



Linder received $15,000 to develop his invention, as well as some bonus prizes including a four-day trip to California to drive Tony Stark's favorite car, the Audi R8 on a racetrack.

He plans to develop LuminAR in the next three to five years and sees the product becoming as common as the light bulb is today.

The purpose of the competition was to inspire individuals to come up with ideas to create better living through the use of technology. Tony Stark's vision was to capture the world's intellect and resources through crowdsourcing, and use the ideas submitted to eradicate problems through technology.

Contestants had to submit a video that outlined their idea, then get as many people as possible to rate, comment on and discuss their video by using social media sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

Linder is a veteran of computer science and product design, working for Sun Microsystems, and co-founding Samsung Electronics Israel R&D Center. He was also an Entrepreneur in Residence at Jerusalem Venture Partners, a leading VC in Israel.

Says Linder, "I have a real passion to make technology disappear… people will eventually just view LuminAR as a lamp that happens to shine the Internet on their desk."

[NATAN LINDER]

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