June 13, 2013

The final round of competition for the 2012–2013 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge took place over the weekend of April 10–13 at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Four teams of high school students received top honors at this year's event in recognition of their efforts to create a product or service to benefit humanity, and the winning teams took home more than $50,000 in cash prizes and awards. The Conrad Foundation's Spirit of Innovation Challenge celebrates the life and entrepreneurial spirit of astronaut Pete Conrad, third man to walk on the Moon. The four winning teams included the following:

• Team M^3 from Warren High School in Downey, California, who won for their innovative "Sleep Halo"—an adjustable circular headrest device that seeks to revolutionize the air travel industry by allowing for maximum comfort of passengers during long flights.
• Team AirCOM from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, who won for their suite of electronic detection products that use international crowdsourcing to inform the public on dangerous levels of airborne pollutants.
• Team Eco-Cooker from Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, Florida, who won for their self-sustaining methane production system, which stores bio-waste to produce combustible gas that can be used as a low-cost energy and heating source.
• The Back Straight Boys from Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, California, who won for their "Posture Pad"—a device built to improve computer-related workplace injuries through constant feedback with users.

All winning teams at the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge are awarded with Sigma Xi affiliate memberships. We also take this opportunity to thank the many Sigma Xi members who served as mentors and judges at this year's competition