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Open Innovation Call to Improve ‘Sight’ of First Humanoid Robot in Space

Mar-31-13 By IdeaConnection
The first humanoid robot in space needs some help.  His colleagues would like him to have some improved 'sight'.

Robonaut 2 (also known as ‘R2’) arrived on the International Space Station in February 2011.  It was designed to help assist astronauts with tasks too dangerous or too mundane for them to perform.  Now NASA wants it to be given even more capabilities.

To Boldly Crowdfund a NASA Trailer for New Star Trek Movie

Mar-30-13 By IdeaConnection
The good folks at the Aerospace Industries Association have just reached their funding goal to premier a video promoting space exploration.  It will be seen on the big screen before the showing of the next Star Trek movie - “Star Trek Into Darkness”.

The original plan was to raise sufficient funds to show a 30-second NASA trailer entitled “We are the Explorers’” in 50 theaters in major movie markets across the United States.

Initially, the crowd was asked to dip into its pockets for $33,000.

Open Innovation with Wal-Mart to Use Customers as Couriers

Mar-29-13 By IdeaConnection
According to a report by Reuters, the retail giant Wal-Mart is considering crowdsourcing it customer delivery service.  It would mean a customer delivering goods to your door rather than the retailer.

Although peer-to-peer delivery isn’t a new concept - think Postmates and Stuff2send for example - it’s interesting that this crowdsourcing approach is being talked about by such a large commercial enterprise.

A New Crowdfunding Model for Healthcare

Mar-27-13 By IdeaConnection
All over the world people are dying because they lack the funds to pay for life-saving medical treatment.

Watsi is a new crowdfunding platform that lets people fund treatments for others who cannot afford appropriate levels of healthcare.

Crowdsourcing Song Lyrics for American Idol

Mar-26-13 By IdeaConnection
We’re used to seeing music fans pluck their own icons from obscurity to super stardom on shows like X-Factor and America’s Got Talent.  Now they are being asked to help them pen a song.

Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, a previous Canadian Idol competitor is teaming up with American Idol and Coca-Cola for their Perfect Harmony campaign.

Will China 2.0 Out-Innovate your company?

Mar-25-13 By Rowan Gibson
After thirty years as a “workshop for the world”, China is steadily and resolutely moving up the value chain. And this transition – from low-cost manufacturing to world-class innovation, design and marketing – will change the rules of competition everywhere on earth, including inside China. So take a good look at your company’s strategic priorities for 2013 and ask yourself if this question is on the list: “Are we gearing up for China 2.0?”

On a recent trip to Beijing, I was struck by how radically the focus of everyday business conversations has changed. And this has nothing to do with the global recession, which temporarily took some of the wind out of China’s sails. It has much more to do with the realization that China is entering a new and quite different era in its economic development, and that companies (both local and foreign) will have to act quickly and decisively if they are going to carve out a place in it.

Interviews with Open Innovation Problem Solvers

Mar-24-13 By IdeaConnection
So what is it like to be an open innovation problem solver? At IdeaConnection brilliant minds get to earn money, forge new connections, and create novel world-class solutions.

Periodically we conduct interviews with our successful solvers and facilitators. We ask for their thoughts on working with IdeaConnection as part of a problem solving team, or on their own on some of our other challenges.

Here’s a short collection of insights into some of the experiences:

New Platform Hopes to Transform Crowdfunding

Mar-22-13 By IdeaConnection
A new crowdfunding website that launched this week is allowing entrepreneurs to take their concepts all the way from idea to market.

Portland-based Crowd Supply will not only manage the fundraising campaign, but it will also help funded projects with a website to sell their wares, and assistance with warehousing and business development needs.

Free Open Innovation Webinar by Stefan Lindegaard

Mar-20-13 By IdeaConnection
Stefan Lindegaard is an open innovation and social media thought leader and author of numerous books on OI including The Open Innovation Revolution and Social Media for Corporate Innovators and Entrepreneurs.

He has just posted a free webinar on his website that explores the fundamentals of open innovation.  It is illustrated with case histories, good and bad examples and his thoughts on where OI is heading.

Crowdsourcing Data For Spaceships from Remote Controlled Toy

Mar-19-13 By IdeaConnection
The European Space Agency (ESA) is turning to the crowd to help improve how robotic vehicles rendezvous in space.

The agency has created the AstroDrone app for owners of a radio controlled flying copter called Parrot AR. Drone. The toy flies on four rotors and can be controlled with Android devices and iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads.   It is popular with many iPhone users and around half a million units have been sold since it was launched in 2010.