Winners Announced for Design Engineering Awards

Winners of third annual competition show blend of design creativity, engineering innovation

Toronto, Ont. Aug., 1999 -The competition is tough in a contest that puts as much emphasis on engineering as it does industrial design, and honours industrial and commercial equipment and
systems equally with consumer products. The winners of the
1999 Design Engineering Awards-organized by Design Engineering magazine, supported by the Design Exchange of
Toronto and sponsored by five leading firms in the sector-exemplified the very best in the design
of medical equipment, sports equipment, computer hardware, automotive industry products and
industrial equipment. The DEA is the only program of its kind in Canada. All entries involved
products or systems (in separate industrial and consumer categories) that were designed in
Canada and introduced to the market or put into operation in 1998.

The winners received their certificates at a gala reception on Sept.13 at the Design Exchange in Toronto-Canada's leading forum for design. Full details on all these entries will appear in a special supplement to the October issue of Design Engineering magazine. As well, the winners will be highlighted in a exhibition at the Design Engineering Show in Toronto, September 28-30.

Gold Award

The winner in the industrial/commercial category is an animated triceratops dinosaur. While not a
manufacturing system, the entry is used as commercial equipment by Universal Studios Islands of
Adventure. The complex programming and smooth motion control systems make for a stunningly
real illusion to customers who are never more than six feet away from the exhibit-sometimes even
touching it. Some of this technology comes from the space program, while some was developed
by the entrant, formerly known as Spar Aerospace. The dinosaur has a range of realistic
behaviour-dilating pupils, coordinated muscles and tongue movement among them-a striking
simulation of a live animal.

For more information, contact Andrew Bolt, program manager, MD Space and Advanced
Robotics Ltd. 9445 Airport Road, Brampton, ON L6S 4J3. Tel: (905) 790-2800 ext. 4095