Autodesk Announces Magic Wheels as Inventor of the Month for August 2007
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Autodesk logo. (PRNewsFoto)
SAN RAFAEL, CA USA
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Inventor of Multigear Wheel Systems for Wheelchairs Personifies Spirit of
National Inventors' Month
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Magic Wheels, Inc., a developer of
multigear wheel systems for manual wheelchairs, has been named the Autodesk
Inventor of the Month for August 2007. The Inventor of the Month program (
http://www.autodesk.com/inventorofthemonth ) recognizes the most innovative
design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using
Autodesk Inventor software. Magic Wheels' selection as Inventor of the
Month for August bears particular significance, as August is National
Inventors' Month in the United States to recognize invention and
creativity.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO)
Magic Wheels was co-founded in 1996 by Steve Meginniss, the successful
inventor and product developer of the Sonicare toothbrush, the Clarisonic
skin care system and the Quinton Quik-Prep electrodes used in stress
testing. The company sought to improve the wheel systems for rear-push
manual wheelchairs, which had essentially remained unchanged for 150 years.
Traditionally these wheels provided only one gear, which made it difficult
for wheelchair users to ascend and descend hills, or navigate rough and
uneven surfaces.
To address these challenges, Magic Wheels developed the MAGICWHEELS
two-gear wheelchair drive. This mechanical wheel system works much like a
two-speed bicycle, providing the user with two easily shifted gears for
extraordinary mobility enhancement to navigate ramps, hills and all types
of varying terrain. Additionally, the availability of different gears
lessens the incidence of repetitive stress injuries to the shoulders, arms
and hands due to high driving loads.
Autodesk Inventor software was integral to the development of the
MAGICWHEELS product, which evolved over a nine-year period. As the
foundation for Digital Prototyping, Inventor allows manufacturers to
simulate the real-world performance of a design before it is built.
"In the process of literally 'reinventing the wheel,' we had to explore
a lot of different design ideas," said Cisco Sabin, mechanical design
engineer at Magic Wheels. "By creating digital prototypes in Inventor, we
were able to fully explore and optimize our designs before producing
expensive physical prototypes."
"There has never been a more exciting time to be an inventor than now,"
said Robert "Buzz" Kross, senior vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing
Solutions. "Companies like Magic Wheels are using Digital Prototyping to
refine the invention process, leveraging software that is as groundbreaking
as their ideas. We are thrilled to name Magic Wheels as our Inventor of the
Month for August. They are a true embodiment of the creativity and
innovation that National Inventors Month represents."
About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program
Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more
than 600,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software, the foundation for
Digital Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and
groundbreaking innovation. For more information on Autodesk Inventor of the
Month, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.
About Magic Wheels, Inc.
Magic Wheels, Inc. was co-founded in 1996 by Steve Meginniss, a
successful inventor and product developer (Sonicare Toothbrush, Clarisonic
skin care and Quinton Quik-Prep). The MAGICWHEELS product was designed from
the ground up expressly to meet the needs of long-term wheelchair users.
Over the years, MAGICWHEELS have gone through many changes and facelifts to
develop the most usable and durable wheelchairs possible.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are built.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com .
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor and Inventor are registered
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries.
MAGICWHEELS is a trademark of Magic Wheels, Inc. All other brand names,
product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk
reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any
time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical
errors that may appear in this document.
(C) 2007 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rosemary Mori Alyson Howard
415.547.2474 312.297.7430
rosemary.mori@autodesk.com alyson.howard@edelman.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.autodesk.com/
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
