What participants say:

Hoopla Rack,
third place and $4,000,
2008 Schoofs Prize for Creativity;
third place and $700,
Tong Prototype Prize;
and Younkle Best Presentation Award

“Through the whole process, I actually began to see my design turn into a prototype, and now my prototype might actually become a patented reality. By the end, I was so happy that I had chosen to take a chance on myself and do something that brought my engineering and hooping life together.”

—Danielle McIntosh

Pen Smart,
$1,000 Judges’ Award for Special Merit,
2008 Schoofs Prize for Creativity

“I thought of this product two years ago—I wrote it down and kind of forgot about it for awhile. And I realized that if I didn’t do it, I’d always regret it, so I just decided to pursue it. The competition is a great outlet for anyone interested in innovation and development. The experience gives you the tools to develop the idea and the confidence to continue.”

—Daniel Gartenberg

Innovators in the news

Tong Prototype Prize 2008

Portable Refrigerated Beverage Dispenser, first place and $2,500, Tong Prototype Prize

First Place

Portable Refrigerated Beverage Dispenser: A lightweight, self-contained unit for transporting, cooling and dispensing a keg

Second Place

Lace Master: A machine that enables an injured or disabled person to tie their shoes tightly with just one hand

Third Place

Hoopla Rack: A system for transporting hula hoops via bicycle

Other entries for 2008 include:

Accessible Incontinence Device: A catheterized system to sense bladder pressure and control urine flow to prevent incontinence

Adaptive Sailing Seat: A boat-mounted seat that enables amputees, paraplegics or quadriplegics to participate in sailing activities

Bug Whapper: A tractor-towed farming tool that removes beetles from potato plants

Ice Pod: A portable device to measure ice thickness on a body of water so the user can determine safety

Laptop Case-to-Desk: A laptop case that can expand into a sturdy desk up to 46 inches in height

Pen Smart: An ergonomic writing utensil that includes multiple writing tips, such as ball-point and felt-tip

Runway Rescuer: A device to remove aircraft with flat tires from the runway

SafeSled: An inflatable sled for evacuating people with physical disabilities during an aircraft emergency

Vertical Dish Rack: A space-saving vertical unit for air-drying and storing dinnerware and flatware

Whip-Up Tip-Up: A wind-powered device that prevents an ice-fishing hole from refreezing and alerts anglers when a fish is caught

Zipper Lock: A lock that prevents a single-slide zipper from opening for theft determent