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CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 02/13/13 -- The Edison Awards, celebrating its 26th year of honoring innovators and innovation, has announced its finalists for the internationally renowned 2013 Edison Awards. Since 1987, the Edison Awards have recognized game changing new products and services. Being recognized with an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business.

"The Edison Awards provides a robust platform for honoring the best in innovation, and encourages today's development teams, researchers, designers, and entrepreneurs to dream big. We're inspired by our 2013 finalists and delighted to have this opportunity to recognize and promote the outstanding accomplishments they represent," says Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.

The awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) whose extraordinary new product development methods and innovative achievements garnered him 1,093 U.S. patents and made him a household name around the world. The ballot of nominees for the Edison Awards™ is judged by a panel of more than 3,000 individuals, including members of seven different associations representing a wide variety of industries and disciplines. The panel also includes professionals from the fields of product development & design, engineering, science and education. In this comprehensive, peer-review process, the nominees were judged on a set of evaluation criteria developed in partnership with Nielsen. These criteria represent a new definition of innovation, leveraging the primary themes of Concept, Value, Delivery and Impact. Finalists symbolize 21st century innovation across 12 categories across a diverse range of industries.

Award winners will be announced April 25, 2013 at the Grand Ballroom of Chicago's historic Navy Pier. The annual Edison Awards program encompasses multiple events over a two-day period including an Opening Reception, Meet the Innovators Forum, Innovators' Showcase and the black-tie Gala where the winners will be announced

Edison Award finalists are invited to 'give back' and become active participants in fostering the next generation of innovators through programs designed by Edison Universe, the Awards' charitable, not-for profit, parent organization. The full list of finalists include:

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY
Productivity Tools
Mixed Row Palletizing (MXRP) Gripper by KUKA Systems Corp.
Baxter by Rethink Robotics, Inc.
MatrixSelect by Symbotic

Research & Collaborative Tools
Kingfisher M200 by Clearpath Robotics
iPad® Television Audience Measurement by Nielsen
Prodigy by WiTricity Corp.

Safety
Hermes by Advanced Optical Systems, Inc.
Guideline Robotic Convoy System by Autonomous Solutions, Inc.
APSE™ BioPhotonic Devices by Engeenuity
Synthetic Vision on a Head-Up Display by Rockwell Collins

Smart Systems
Virtual Technician by Detroit Diesel, Div. of Daimler Trucks North America
Livio Connect by Livio
MobileIron by MobileIron
Open Graphic Navigator for Building Systems by The Mircom Group of Companies