Winners of Black & Decker power tools

Parallel-Plate Motorcycle Frame

Martin O’Toole, Revolution Motorcycles,
Doylestown, PA

The concept of the parallel-plate framing system is to eliminate the welded tubular frame. The components are made using 3-axis CNC milling, waterjet, and laser-cutting machines. By removing the structural components to the outside of the motorcycle, the strength of the frame increases.

Toxicity Sensor for Homeland Security

Charles Stack, Constant Compliance,
Chicago, IL

The AquaCoil™ toxicity biosensor uses the principle that aquatic organisms including bacteria are sensitive to toxins and can detect minute amounts of poison in drinking water, food, and beverages. This allows the instant detection of accidental or deliberate poisoning by monitoring for changes in the organisms’ respiration.

Truck Hitch Ramp

J. Perkins, Newcastle Productions,
San Jose, CA

This collapsible ramp connects to the standard hitch mount of a truck for transport, and deploys to create a full-sized walk-up ramp to allow easy loading and unloading of the truck bed. The accordion-style mechanism uses no truck bed cargo space and can be deployed easily.

Living Tissue 3D Rapid Prototyping System

H. Levy, Inventek Co.,
Brooklyn, NY

This system dispenses and deposits living cells and other materials on a surface to create living tissue. The cells are deposited on a platen in programmed graphic patterns, in one to thousands of cycles.

Home Mole Growth Detection System

John Nagle, Nagle Research,
Austin, TX

This device attaches to a computer via USB, and is placed over a mole on the body. A tiny laser and camera capture a 3D triangulation scan of the surface of the mole. The image can be viewed in 3D on the computer screen. The software reminds users to check their moles once per month. The software then does a volumetric calculation to determine if the mole has grown.

Rotorcraft Blade

Thomas Anderson, Anderson Design & Development Corp., Bellport, NY This blade design uses the drag of a rotorcraft’s retreating blades to power the advancing blades, and allows gyrocopters to operate and produce lift at higher attack angles. When the rotor is powered, the blade operates as a standard helicopter, so the trailing edge is always in the up position.

Aaveds Nut

Jason van Gent, Faster Fasteners,
Upper Hutt, New Zealand

The Aaveds Nut is an internally threaded fastening device that can slide into place before it is fastened. The fastener uses a bevel on the loading surface that is combined with a bevel on a washer or countersink on the product being fastened. The bevel causes force to be applied to the threads of the fastener.

Handheld Wire Friction Pipe Cutter

C. Pitzer, Pitzer Consulting,
El Segundo, CA

This wire friction pipe cutter functions in tight spaces to easily cut sections of pipe for repair or replacement. The cutting mechanism allows a wire with a small end nipple to be wrapped around the pipe to be cut. The end nipple is securely placed into a notch in the tool’s spindle wheel so the wire can be pulled back and forth against the pipe until the pipe is cut through.