Gizmodo
Nathan Ball, an MIT graduate student, has created a battery-powered rope ascender, which is just a fancy name for Batman's utility belt. Ball and his team were challenged to create a 25-pound package capable of lifting 250 pounds 50 feet into the air in five seconds or less and after nearly two and a half years of research they finally did it. Ball and his team have since founded Bat Tools, LLC Atlas Devices, LLC to develop and market their officially named ATLAS Powered Rope Ascender. Batman jokes aside (I have well surpassed my quota), this is a great tool that could be used by the military, firefighters, window washers and more. Ball even won $30,000 for making it. Damn, it pays to be a smarty.
MIT Graduate STudents Wins $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for Life-Saving Inventions [Businesswire]
