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WINNERS
First Place Winner: Virginia Tech, Team CIRCA
A team of engineering students from Virginia Tech has won first place in the 2007-2008 National Innovation Awards conducted by the Compressed Air & Gas Institute (CAGI). Team CIRCA (Climbing Inspection Robot with Compressed Air) was comprised of: Students David McDowell Cory Kaser Nicholas Thayer Florian Böss Advisors Dennis Hong Gabriel Goldman The team’s project used compressed air to power a serpentine robot designed for inspecting unsafe or hard to reach areas such as bridge structures, tall utility poles, or even scaffolding or girders in construction sites. For their innovative design, Team CIRCA will divide $2500 in prize money, and their effort also earned $8000 for their school’s participating department. Second Place Winner: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Team Turbocharger Second place was awarded to Team Turbocharger of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Team members Charles Clarke Jason Ruhe Abhishek Chowdhary Andrew Newman James East William Papke Francis Jablonski Angela Overstreet Thomas Goodrich Carter McGowan Tobias Mueller Advisor Dr. R. G. Kirk The team’s project was a Turbocharger Test Stand intended to be used for bearing testing and turbocharger shaft vibration measurement. The team will share $1500 in prize money. $4000 will be awarded to their school’s participating department. Honorable Mention: Milwaukee School of Engineering, Team Stressed and Compressed Students Steve Kenney Eric Scatton Griffin Pesch Dave Orlowski. Their entry, the Saucer Tosser, is a mechanism that accelerates a clay disc through the air with the use of a compressed piston. The Saucer Tosser would be used in clay pigeon shooting. CAGI is proud of all of the students and their mentors who participated in the 2007-2008 Innovation Awards Contest, and plans are underway to expand the 2008-2009 contest to include additional schools. |