NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2006 – Engineering students competing in a design contest on Nov. 5 in Chicago, will demonstrate the ingenuity and skill required to build a fishing rod and reel that a quadriplegic can operate orally.

The ASME Student Design Competition finals at the Chicago Hilton will bring together students from 14 universities, who have designed unique electro-mechanical devices that allow physically challenged individuals to cast and reel a fishing line.  The 14 universities, including Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Indian Institute of Technology, were winners in regional design competitions held earlier this year.

ASME sponsors the annual Student Design Competition with major funding provided by the Chicago-based Boeing Company.

The devices employ a “sip and puff” input controller, commonly used to maneuver wheelchairs, which will be simulated by switches mounted on the rod and reel.  In the competition, the fisher must cast a simulated lure and attempt to hit targets set at varying distances.  The distances from the targets are measured and the lowest score wins. Other judging criteria include cost-effectiveness, testing methodology, and reliability.

The winners will receive trophies and monetary prizes, plus an additional sum that helps fund their student mechanical engineering sections at their universities.

The 2006 finalists are Baylor University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Indian Institute of Technology, McGill University, Michigan State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Mexico State University, Oregon State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Alabama, University of Missouri (at Columbia), University of Nevada (at Reno), Virginia Polytechnic University, and Western Kentucky University.

The 14 finalists advanced from a field of 117 entries in 73 of ASME’s student sections around the world.  A total of 466 students participated in the regional competitions.

The Student Design Contest will be held in conjunction with the 2006 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which brings engineers and scientists together to discuss and demonstrate advanced technology.  The Congress is set for Nov. 4-10.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community.

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