SXSW 2015 names interactive innovation award winners
A roster of interactive innovation award winners have been named at the South by Southwest (SXSW) awards ceremony, during which Girlstart executive director Tamara Hudgins was named as the fourth inductee to its hall of fame.
The annual event is intended to showcase digital industry trends across software, apps and devices with fourteen awards and four special mentions doled out on the night.
These included the ALS Association who picked up the meme of the Year title for their world conquering ice bucket challenge and Local Motors Inc for Strati, the world’s first 3d printed car.
SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards coordinator Mason Stewart commented: “Tonight’s award winners, special honors recipients, and Hall of Fame inductee Tamara Hudgins holistically represent the SXSW Interactive values of innovation, inspiration and creativity.
“We are grateful to all participants and finalists for raising the standard on how we can continue to improve the quality of life through technology together.”
2015 SXSW INTERACTIVE INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS:
HEALTH MED & BIOTECH
Awarded for an innovation that improves the quality, efficacy, and/or cost-effectiveness of diagnosis, treatment, and care in the field of medicine.
VocaliD
By: VocaliD
www.vocalid.co
Boston, MA
INNOVATION IN CONNECTING PEOPLE
Awarded for the best new way to connect with others.
FireChat: the first off-the-grid messaging app
By: Open Garden Inc.
opengarden.com/firechat
San Francisco, CA
INNOVATIVE 3-DIY
Awarded for making 3D printing technology more accessible, producing more affordable personal 3D printers, or to the Maker using such technology in new and exciting ways.
Project Daniel
By: Not Impossible
notimpossiblenow.com/labs/project-daniel
Los Angeles, CA
INTERNET OF THINGS
Awarded for the best smart product that most seamlessly integrates into our lives to improve convenience and efficiency through its intelligence and interconnectedness.
Clever Buoy
By: M&C Saatchi
cleverbuoy.awardentries.org
Sydney, Australia
MUSIC DISCOVERY
Awarded for changing and improving the way we listen to and enjoy music.
Cone
By: Aether
aether.com
San Francisco, CA
NEW ECONOMY
Awarded to those redefining the exchange of goods and services, from the sharing economy, to virtual currency, to microfinance, to mobile-device-payment systems and beyond.
Acorns
By: Acorns
acorns.com
Newport Beach, CA
PRIVACY & SECURITY
Awarded for 2014’s most progressive accomplishment in the way we go about securing our data and ensuring our privacy.
Disconnect
By: Disconnect
disconnect.me
San Francisco, CA
RESPONSIVE DESIGN
Awarded for excellent digital design, creating the best-integrated interaction in terms of content, aesthetics, and functionality.
100 Years of Design
By: Second Story, part of SapientNitro
celebratedesign.org
Portland, OR
SCIFI NO LONGER
Awarded for the coolest scientific achievement or discovery that before 2014 was only possible in science fiction.
Noninvasive skin cancer detection device
By: Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin
engr.utexas.edu/features/skin-cancer-detection-device
Austin, TX
STUDENT INNOVATION
Awarded to the student with an exceptional interactive technology project or startup; both of which are the future.
Expressive Wearable
By: Sangli Li
sanglidesign.com/expressive-wearables.html
Pasadena, CA
SUSTAINABLE TECH
Awarded for innovation in power generation, power storage, eco-friendly or sustainable technology.
EDGEhome
By: Green Edge Technologies, Inc.
edgehome.com
San Diego, CA
TRANSPORTATION ADVANCEMENTS
Awarded for the development of technology that changes the way we move people and things, making transportation more efficient or eco-friendly.
Guide Dots
By: VML
creativeworkbench.com/guide-dots
Kansas City, MO
VISUAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE
Awarded for content creation and delivery that moves beyond passive viewership by providing a more immersive and engaging entertainment experience.
netwars / out of CTRL
By: filmtank GmbH
netwars-project.com/webdoc
Berlin, Germany
WEARABLE TECH
Awarded for the new hardware (and/or software) that revolutionizes the convenience, comfort, functionality, efficiency, and/or fashion of having a device literally “on you.”
FreeWavz Smart Earphones
By: hEar Gear, Inc.
freewavz.com
Melbourne, FL
SPECIAL HONORS
BEST OF SHOW
Finalist from the competition, who, overall, best exemplifies the values of innovation, inspiration and creativity.
Strati, The World's First 3D Printed Car
By: Local Motors Inc.
localmotors.com/localmotors/the-3d-printed-car-aka-direct-digital-manufacturing
Las Vegas, NV
BREAKOUT TREND OF THE YEAR
Trend that gained the most traction during SXSW Interactive 2015.
Diversity
SPEAKER OF THE EVENT
Speaker from SXSW Interactive 2015 whose presentation makes the biggest impact on the digital community.
Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics Corporation – “AI, Immortality and the Future of Selves” keynote (interviewed by Lisa Miller, New York Magazine) – http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP996157
MEME OF THE YEAR
Most ubiquitous meme that went viral in calendar year 2014 and that we just can’t get out of our heads or off of our screens.
ALS Association – Ice Bucket Challeng