Taiwan was the biggest winner at the Seoul International Invention Fair for the second consecutive year, bagging 42 golds, 67 silvers and 32 bronzes.
The island’s inventors accounted for just over 26 percent of entries at the four-day event, which wrapped up Dec. 4 and attracted participants from 32 countries and territories.
Chen Tsung-tai, head of Taiwan’s delegation and chairman of the Taiwan Invention Association, said individuals, enterprises and medical institutes from around the island participated in the competition.
“The result was a significant improvement over 2010 when Taiwan picked up 33 golds, 32 silvers and 32 bronzes.”
Taichung City’s 17-year-old design duo Chung Chen-you and Lin Kuan-heng won gold for their easy-to-assemble computer desk. The design does away with the need for screws, slashing assembly time to less than one minute.
“It is pretty convenient for a student living in rented accommodation away from home to own this desk,” the pair said.
Another gold was captured by inventors from Kaohsiung-based Chung Shan Industrial and Commercial School, who created a container that can detect when items have been removed.
“Remote sensor technology sets off an alarm when objects are removed for too long,” the creators said, adding that the design forces children to be more responsible with where they leave their toys.
Special awards were picked up by Hsinchu City-based Chung Hua University for a magnetic brick; Taichung Veterans General Hospital’s quickie method of identifying dust mites; and Chaoyang University of Technology in Taichung for a shoe insole that massages the wearer.
The South Korean invention expo is the largest event of its kind in Asia, and is growing in popularity with participants from Europe and North America. (HZW-JSM)
Write to Aaron Hsu at pj1210meister@mail.gio.gov.tw