Fruit tree sprayer wins UW-Madison innovation competition
A system to make fruit tree pesticide spraying safer for people and the environment won the top prize and $10,000 in the Schoofs Prize for Creativity, an annual competition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison that rewards innovative and marketable ideas.
The Automated Pest Elimination, or APEL, system was developed by mechanical engineering junior Tom Gerold and finance sophomore Kara Anderson.
“APEL is the smarter way to spray,” says Gerold. APEL is the first fully automated and self-contained spraying unit. It includes a vertical support pipe connected to tank assembly, which is set next to a fruit tree. A spray arm extends horizontally across the top of the system and rotates around the tree, and in only one or two rotations, the tree is properly coated. The system will also incorporate a rain sensor and microcontroller that can adjust the spraying schedule based on the weather.
The automatic spray schedule will insure the tree is sprayed enough to protect it from fruit-destroying pests, while eliminating the over-spraying that often happens when trees are manually sprayed. Additionally, the system will protect fruit tree owners from sustained exposure to chemicals.
An innovative piece of backpacking equipment called the PolyForm Pack won $2,500 and first place in the Tong Prototype Prize, which is the second competition that makes up Innovation Days. Developed by biomedical engineering junior Nate Cira and chemical engineering senior Alex Rio, the PolyForm Pack combines a sleeping pad, backpack, sleeping shelter and chair into a waterproof pack that weighs less than five pounds.
A motor-powered system to “squeegee” snow or debris off without damaging the panels won the Sorenson Best Design Notebook award and $1,000. The system was invented by mechanical engineering senior Adam Strutz and industrial and systems engineering graduate Elizabeth Konkol.
A plant oil-burning stove invented by a group of students from the UW–Madison chapter of Engineers Without Border won the Younkle Best Presentation award and $1,000. Called CocoStove, the invention would replace wood charcoal stoves in rural Haiti by burning native plant oils. Electrical engineering senior Jason Lohr, mechanical engineering senior Eyleen Chou and biomedical engineering senior Tyler Lark developed the stove.
“The caliber of the students’ work this year was an outstanding testament to the culture of innovation here on campus,” says Student Leadership Center director Alicia Jackson. “Congratulations to all of the participants.”
The winners were selected from 23 inventions developed by 37 students participating in the 16th annual Innovation Days. Held Feb. 11-12 on the UW–Madison College of Engineering campus, the competition was open to all UW–Madison undergraduates. Registration for the 2011 competition opens Monday, Feb. 15. Learn more at http://innovation.wisc.edu.
Other Schoofs Prize for Creativity winners include:
- Second place and $7,000: PolyForm Pack
- Third place and $4,000: TriCrimp, a lightweight, pneumatic crimping tool for steel fastening that replaces tedious hand-crimping tools and bulky mechanical crimpers. Invented by mechanical engineering junior Scott Johanek.
- Fourth place and $1,000: Plant Oil-Burning Stove
Other Tong Prototype Prize winners include:
- Second place and $1,250: APEL System
- Third place and $700: BreezeDry, a specialized towel bar with fans designed to dry clothes via efficient air flow. Invented by chemical engineering senior Andrew Burton.