2008 Woodie Awards
Machine Does Best Thing Ever
By Bruce Bugbee
4/11/07 - Science & Technology
An engineering graduate at Duke University has created a device that will solve one of the dire problems faced by college students. This is a crisis that makes the normal college problems of trying to hook up and studying for tests look trivial. The problem in question is the age-old dilemma of "Do I want to get off the couch for another beer?" It was this quandary that prompted John Cornwell to create the Beer Launching Fridge.
Cornwell, who graduated from Duke in 2006 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has a penchant for creating gadgets. His past projects include tennis ball launchers, bowling ball chronograph, and an automatic paintball gun. While his past endeavors were something to be admired, it wasn't until he modified a mini fridge to launch beer to distances of 13ft that he began to receive attention.
The fridge itself uses a ten beer "magazine" and holds 14 beers in reserve. Controlled by a keyless entry remote, the fridge can be told where to aim and when to fire remotely. This means that you could be sitting on the couch, hit a button, and have a frosty cold beer launched to you.
After having a video of his creation posted online and a subsequent posting on the social news website Digg.com, Cornwell began to receive a lot of national attention. Miller entered into a sponsorship agreement where they provided unlimited beer for "demonstration" purposes. Cornwell even showcased his invention on The Late Show with David Letterman. With all the national attention that his fridge has received, Cornwell has even decided to produce a limited number of fridges to go into production for approximately $1500 per unit.
For more information on the Beer Launching Fridge visit Cornwell's website at www.beerlauncher.com.
Cornwell, who graduated from Duke in 2006 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has a penchant for creating gadgets. His past projects include tennis ball launchers, bowling ball chronograph, and an automatic paintball gun. While his past endeavors were something to be admired, it wasn't until he modified a mini fridge to launch beer to distances of 13ft that he began to receive attention.
The fridge itself uses a ten beer "magazine" and holds 14 beers in reserve. Controlled by a keyless entry remote, the fridge can be told where to aim and when to fire remotely. This means that you could be sitting on the couch, hit a button, and have a frosty cold beer launched to you.
After having a video of his creation posted online and a subsequent posting on the social news website Digg.com, Cornwell began to receive a lot of national attention. Miller entered into a sponsorship agreement where they provided unlimited beer for "demonstration" purposes. Cornwell even showcased his invention on The Late Show with David Letterman. With all the national attention that his fridge has received, Cornwell has even decided to produce a limited number of fridges to go into production for approximately $1500 per unit.
For more information on the Beer Launching Fridge visit Cornwell's website at www.beerlauncher.com.
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