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JPL Annual Invention Challenge - 2012

Under beautiful blue skies and no wind, the JPL Invention Challenge was held on the 180 Mall with more than 300 spectators and participants.  This year's contest objective was to create a device that propels a provided roll of tissue paper such that the tissue unravels in mid-air and creates a long unbroken stream.  Each team will be allowed to operate their device twice.  The winner will be the team whose device propels the roll and creates the longest unbroken stream of tissue paper.

View event photos

A total of 20 school teams and 8 JPL teams came up with different ways to accomplish this task.  The energy sources were varied such as surgical tubing, bungee cords, gravity, belt drive, and a flywheel.  The longest throw is shown below for each team.

The JPL teams and the school teams performed well.  It was a difficult challenge because of the balance between throwing the TP roll a long distance and avoiding tearing the TP from its anchor on the device.  My congratulations go out to everyone who worked on this challenging problem.

Entry No. Name Team Name Length (in) Width (in) Height (in) Weight (lbs) 1st Toss 2nd Toss Beat Toss Award at Finals
18 Monroe Magnet Middle School Paper on the Run 38.0 31.0 78.0 43.0 35.42 30 35.42 1st - School
104 Richard Goldstein rmg 40.0 16.0 29.0 17.8 32.33 N/A 32.33 1st - JPL
69 Village Christian High School VCS Engineering Club 96.0 13.0 49.0 139.0 32.25 30.92 32.25 2nd - School
65 South Pasadena High School Vitesse 85.5 29.5 61.0 189.3 0.92 32.08 32.08 3rd - School and Most Artistic
15 Pacific Technology School-Santa Ana Pac Tech TP 72.0 36.0 96.0 289.0 30.25 12.17 30.25 Heaviest
3 STEM @ Roosevelt High School The Avenge Nerds 69.5 80.0 56.0 25.0 29.58 17.75 29.58 Most Unusual
26 Crescenta Valley High School Falkon Awesome 36.0 24.0 52.0 52.4 12.00 29.00 29.00
40 Temple City High School TCHS-B 32.0 16.0 30.5 16.0 28.17 24.58 28.17 Smallest
12 Granite Hills High School Football Again 38.0 19.0 62.0 52.1 28.08 3.08 28.08
5 Savanna High School Personal Hygiene 77.0 24.0 99.0 45.0 23.92 12.58 23.92
8 Arcadia High School Spin2Win 72.5 61.0 74.0 79.0 1.33 23.83 23.83
56 Culver City High School Culver 3 71.0 36.0 80.0 107.0 21.08 19.67 21.08
41 Temple City High School TCHS-C 36.0 15.0 72.0 31.0 17.75 20.83 20.83
51 Alexander Hamilton High School Charmin 56.5 48.0 84.0 133.3 18.25 7.33 18.25
58 Arnold O. Beckman High School Wiping Warriors 40.5 19.0 40.5 15.1 14.83 3.83 14.83 Lightest
39 Temple City High School TCHS-A 49.5 21.0 52.0 27.5 DQ - Device over line 11.08 11.08
102 Kristan Ellis Stanley Steamer 64.5 24.0 79.0 116.4 11.0 3.67 11.0 2nd - JPL
37 Los Angeles Senior High Team Panda 79.0 65.0 97.5 99.0 2.92 6.58 6.58 Largest
47 Diamond Bar High School Team Rocket 87.0 30.5 83.0 46.0 5.83 6.42 6.42
101 Kim Aaron Bandos 73.0 24.0 59.0 24.0 DQ - Device over line 3.58 3.58 3rd - JPL
21 St Christopher Chargers 32.0 27.0 49.5 36.0 3.25 2.33 3.25
13 Morningside High School The Honey Badgers 70.0 36.0 96.0 155.6 2.83 N/A 2.83
103 Kristan Ellis Behind on my Paperwork 58.0 12.5 53.5 34.0 0.08 2.00 2.00
33 San Marcos High School Royal Pains 49.0 23.0 35.0 62.0 DQ - Device over line N/A 0.00 Most Creative
105 Daniel Diamond Warrior Engineering Science and Technology 65.0 25.0 74.5 35.6 0.00 0.00 0.00
106 Mark Kline Propulsion Masters 30.0 36.0 75.0 71.0 0.00 0.00 0.00
107 Fred Serricchio Team Xtreme 82.0 36.0 61.0 77.0 DQ - Went early 0.00 0.00
109 Gabriela Mancilla Jaguars 2013 48.0 30.0 48.0 46.0 0.00 0.00 0.00

I wish to thank all of the volunteers (listed below) that put on the show.  Without their help, the event would not have been possible.  A special thanks goes out to Kim Lievense and her Public Services team, headed by Roni Dash, for collecting the entry forms and video release forms and processing more than 240 student badges for all of the student teams.  I also wish to acknowledge the talented work performed by Robert Denise for being the master of ceremonies during the contest.

Name: Position:
Paul MacNeal Organizer
Sara Susca General Helper
David Breda Assistant to organizer
Lauren Halatek Assistant to organizer
Fannie Chen Recording Secretary
Shari Asplund Recording Secretary
Chris Landry Referee
Robert Denise Announcer
Steven Wissler Check-in
Lyn Repath-Martos Check-in
Kenny Donahue Check-in
Tony Lopez Safety
Ezra Abrahamy Safety
Kathleen Crean Timer
Fabien Nicaise Field Judger
Nick Siegler Field Judge
Jennifer Hasenoehrl Toss Spotter
Alek Kerzhner Toss Spotter
Paul Ries Toss Spotter
Mike Malaska Toss Spotter
Coco Mariano Recycling Engineer
William H. Blume Recycling Engineer
Brian Morrison Area Patroller
Kamal Oudrhiri Area Patroller
Shannon Vaughn Area Patroller
Winnie Wang Area Patroller
Allyson Beatrice Set-up Helper
Andrea Murrell Set-up Helper
Jamie Piacentine Set-up Helper
Joseph Joe Set-up Helper
Shannon Vaughn Clean-up Helper
Nina Cole Clean-up Helper
Amiee Quon Photographer
Jessica Clark Photographer
Maeve McGrath Photographer
David Tseng Videographer
Pamela Huntoon Judge
Bree Bailey Judge
Addison Goss Judge
Paul Bailey Judge

Contact Information

Public Services Office

4800 Oak Grove Drive
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mail Stop 126-347
Located in Building 126-336
Pasadena, CA 91109

Paul MacNeal
paul.d.macneal@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 354-7824

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