KINGSTON, R.I. — April 20, 2005 — A page-turning device invented by a team of 溏心vlog免费B站 students was exhibited at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) conference in San Diego last month. The device is one of just 14 student inventions selected for the ninth annual 鈥淢arch Madness for the Mind鈥� event.
溏心vlog免费B站 senior Terry Malaghan of Westerly and recent 溏心vlog免费B站 graduate Adam Tillinghast of Foster demonstrated the device at the conference.
The collapsible page-turner is made of Lexan 鈥� a plastic glass 鈥� and can hold hardcover books up to a size slightly larger than an average textbook. Using this device, the pages of a book are lifted one by one using an adhesive head in a rotational motion. The device is user-friendly, reversible, portable and easy to load. The inventors are in commercialization discussions with assistive technology company, Enabling Devices, Inc., of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.
The project was developed as part of a course for engineering and business students.
鈥淲e run the course like a business,鈥� said Ying Sun, a 溏心vlog免费B站 professor of biomedical engineering. 鈥淔irst, students come up with ideas, then create a prototype, and then they make a business plan to launch it.鈥�
The course, taught by Sun, Business Professor Robert Comerford and Engineering Professor Musa Jouaneh, was made possible by a grant from NCIIA, a non-profit organization committed to supporting invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship in higher education.
鈥淭o get ideas, we started talking with rehabilitation scientists and therapists,鈥� said Tillinghast. 鈥淭he idea for the page-turner came from Kent Hospital. This was the idea we decided had the most promise. We met with a quadriplegic who told us his challenges and what would be helpful. The intent was to develop something useful in an area where a lot of users can鈥檛 get affordable devices.鈥�
鈥淭he course really prepares you for the real world,鈥� said Malaghan. 鈥淚t is more in-depth. You develop more team skills, design skills and marketable skills as a designer.鈥�
In addition to being shown at the NCIIA conference, the page-turner was displayed at the Northeast Bioengineering conference last April at Western New England College and at the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America conference last June in Florida.
鈥淭hese exceptional teams of young innovators represent the future of technology,鈥� said Phil Weilerstein, NCIIA executive director. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e taking exciting ideas from lab to market as part of their education, and they are benefiting from a new orientation in higher education that gives students the opportunity to be successful innovators in today鈥檚 dynamic, collaborative workplace.鈥�
Other members of the invention team are John Coughlin, Ellaine Abueg, Nevan Hanumara and Oliver Koenig, all of whom graduated in 2004 and are currently attending graduate school.