What happens when you give 30 entrepreneurial students access to patents from the Air Force Research Lab?

They use their “enthusiasm,” their “curiosity,” and their “naivety” to come with such ideas as: * Water bottles that won’t interfere with face masks for athletes.

* Lightweight seatbelts to save airlines millions of dollars

* Whispering technology to differentiate speaking patterns in war video games.

“Picture this,” said Alexandra Hudak, a presenter from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “You’re riding a bike. You’re in a bike race. You see the finish line; it’s just 20 yards ahead of you. But you’re thirsty. You need to be hydrated. You try to get your water bottle. You have to unscrew the cap and tilt your head. You start wobbling. You lose your center of gravity.”

A proposed solution to this and more was presented Saturday to more than 100 entrepreneurs, investors and Department of Defense officials at the SUNY Poly Commercialization Showcase.

“These students are able to show everything they’ve been working on for the past three months,” The Startup Strategy Group Founder Mike McCoy said. “And these aren’t just student ventures. These are real ventures with a lot of potential.”

The showcase serves as a finale of the 2014 Commercialization Academy’s three-month experiential program pairing student entrepreneurs with Air Force technologies to launch new tech ventures.

Students from SUNY Poly, CUNY Zicklin School of Business, Suffolk Community College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Utica College, New Hartford High School, Syracuse University, University of Central Florida, Clarkson University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Rochester Institute of Technology and Le Moyne College participated.

A $50,000 cash prize from event sponsor New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation will be awarded to a select team for business  development.

Students also had the opportunity to network with the investors and entrepreneurs of the region.

Utica Observer-Dispatch: Students showcase ideas to investors, entrepreneurs at SUNY Poly