Thomas Edison Festival of Lights regional inventors fair

Make entries in your logbook with all your ideas …then pause! From this list, decide what YOU believe is important and record why.

• What is the IMPACT it will have? Is there a real need for it?
• Review ACTION 5 with consideration of the cost of building the invention.

This would be a good time to review the regional rules & regulations.

Brainstorm solutions to your ideas and select the ONE idea that you believe

• is your best solution
• interests you
• has significant benefits
• will improve your skill set
• can be built or illustrated effectively within your budget

… then pause!

To be a successful inventor, you must come up with a unique (original) idea! After all your time, expense and hard work, you do not want to find it is already invented!

It is time to check that your idea is original. Trying something new can be hard at first. There are helpful links above to get you started. Once you learn how to perform a novice search, it gets easier, can even be fun and very rewarding! It may actually give you additional ideas to improve your invention.

… Time to pause!

You must first get approval from your teacher and parent(s) or adult supervisor before moving on to the next Action: building your prototype

• Have them sign and date your logbook.
• If any questions about safety arise, review the Rules & Regulations again.
• Still unsure? contact inventors@EdisonFairs.org and have your teacher sign off on this approval in your logbook.

You are required to complete this BEFORE you proceed to the next Action.

Visit USPTO Kids

Design, Build, Test, Iterate

Sketch one or more designs and plan how to build your prototype.

• Practice SAFETY at all times.
• Can you receive help or mentorship? Yes. Just log any and all help received.
• Can you use AI? Read more about proper use of AI. (See link above.)
• Think about materials. Consider cost, feasibility, and environmental impact.
  • Presenting invention concepts can be achieved with drawings, computer graphics, recycled materials and even cardboard.
  • Judges respect keeping costs down

Do not be discouraged by unsuccessful test results. Seek out solutions and iterate (re-design). Get advice from an expert. If you really believe in what you are doing, work through ‘failure’. Show the judges you are determined to improve and succeed! This is what can lead to great inventions.

Acknowledge your limitations, fix errors, brainstorm problems, and learn to iterate. Engineers learn what works and what needs revision. Strive to be a creative engineer … an Imagineer!

NEED. COST. VALUE. PRODUCT LIFE. SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

Think about how you would sell your invention.

• Consider the consumer. Who would be interested in the product?
• Can they afford to purchase the product?
• How will you market to them?
• Do you plan to protect your invention from being used by others without your permission: IPP (Intellectual Property Protection)?
• Could you scale this up for large manufacturing? What would that look like?
• How will your product impact the environment?

You will be judged on your Presentation, Display & Best Iteration. Your best iteration is your most advanced prototype or model or illustration of your invention.

Displays

• Physical Display
  • This is discussed in detail in your logbook and instruction manual.
  • Do not exceed a trifold size of 48”wide by 36” tall.
  • The trifold board or other display must fit a table top area 30” wide by 16” deep.
  • It must be stable and have no potentially sharp objects like thumb tacks or poorly secured staples.
  • Professionally printed boards can be costly and not expected at Regionals.
  • Think of creative ways to display that are economical, safe and appealing.
  • Spelling and grammar count. Occasional misspellings happen. Try to minimize.
  • Finally, information is useless if not legible. People with normal or corrected vision should be able to read the display board comfortably from three feet away.
  • Remember, your logbook has all the details. Display the most significant information.

Iterations

Prototypes, Models, Illustrations, Photos of objects too big for the exhibit space.

• Judges appreciate seeing how you progressed from your initial idea and design, building, testing and revising.
• This is the heart of your invention journey! This is the culmination of your creative problem solving and critical thinking skills.

This does not mean the end of your invention journey. You are encouraged to keep at it. You can apply this process, in part or in full, to improve everything you do! Helping improve the lives of others is a worthwhile purpose to strive for, too!

Extra Resources: Lesson Planning & Meaningful Stories