The “ATLAS Powered Rope Ascender”, an invention by Nathan Ball (who has applied for three patents), has won the annual Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. In 30 seconds, the invention lets the firefighters to reach the top of a 30-story building. It can raise 250 lb more than 600 ft into air. And, his invention is only the size of a hand-held power tool.
So, how does the invention work? It relies on the capstan effect, which produces a grip which is tighter each time a rope is wrapped around a cylinder.
Nathan Ball is also hosting a children’s reality show named “Design Squad”. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT.