Return to this site's homepage Folder and file tree of everything on this site Search this site, the university or the world Common listings of people, organizations and programs Let us know how we are doing Browsing tips, plug-ins, accounts and more University of Wisconsin-Madison homepage Stay at the College of Engineering homepage University of Wisconsin-Madison homepage College of Engineering -- University of Wisconsin-Madison
Home » News & Events » Headlines » 1997 »
Van Deburg Wins $10,000 in Brainstorm

New toilet and its inventor

Ted Van Deburg demonstrated the features of his invention in Engineering Hall. (large image)

Theodore Van Deburg is the first place $10,000 winner in the 1996-97 The Schoofs Prize for Creativity. His invention, Urilet, is a combination toilet and urinal. The toilet lid flips up in such a way as to turn the toilet into a urinal. The idea is that you could have both in half the space. As Ted puts it, "The Urilet has all the benefits and conveniences of a urinal, while maintaining the aesthetics and functionality of a well-designed toilet."

BRAINSTORM is the college's annual invention contest sponsored by COE alumnus Richard Schoofs (BS Chem E 1953).

Second place, $7,000 winners are Jonathan Furniss, Adam Ward, Joseph Gasser, Branden Reid and Timothy Kippley for their Fly-by Rack. The rack simplifies loading bicycles onto the roof of a vehicle.

Third place $4,000 winners are Bill Jacobson, Amanda Kohout and Robert Sundling for Alarm Twin, a system for keeping track of personal belongings or small children. Alarm Twin consists of two inexpensive, credit-card sized units, a matched receiver and transmitter pair. The transmitter is kept on the person and the receiver on the belongings. If the two are separated by a user specified distance, an alarm sounds.

Three inventions tied for Fourth place $1,000 prizes. They are:

The Tom Aschenbrenner "Best Prototype Awards" went to:



Subscribe to News Notification Service
Search the Headlines
News and events at UW-Madison

College of Engineering homepageSite mapCollege IndexFeedbackHelpAccessibility



Copyright 1997 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: 12-Feb-1997
Date created: 12-Feb-1997
Content By: perspective@engr.wisc.edu
Web services: webmaster@engr.wisc.edu