For the first time in its 18 year history, an undergraduate student won the Collegiate Inventors Competition. Industrial Design Senior Stephen Diebold, 21, of Rolling Meadows shared the grand prize award. He was recognized for his invention of the Drop Point, a device that helps quadriplegics with everyday tasks.
When Diebold’s name was announced, “it took me a while to stand up.” He received a gold medal and a check for $25,000, then made an acceptance speech, mindful that professional inventors and future inventors were in the audience.
He told them to remember the people for whom they design their products.
“For you, it may be only a tool, but for other people, it could be a way of life,” he said.
The Drop Point made improvements on pointing sticks quadriplegics use for tasks such as typing, operating cell phones and manipulating objects. Some sticks are held by the teeth; other are mounted on the user’s head.
Using Diebold’s invention, quadriplegics can use the pointing stick by simply shrugging their chin. The stick is attached to a cup on a strap hung around the neck.
Sitting in the front row with Diebold was Jonathon Ko, the former UI law student for whom Diebold designed the device. Diebold, an industrial design major, came up with the idea in a design class where students were paired with people with disabilities.
Congratulations to Stephen!
UI student shares grand prize, nets $27,000 – News-Gazette
Collegiate Inventors Competition – Official Website
Tags: competition, history, industrial design, national award, quadripegics, stephen diebold
