Taiwan inventors shine at Sicily fair

2011/06/06 Italy, Catania, June 5 (CNA) Taiwan swept the 2011 Inventeco International Invention Show in Sicily that ended Sunday, winning 49 gold, 30 silver, and 9 bronze medals. Among the 17 countries that participated, Taiwan was the biggest winner with 88 medals, said Wu Kuo-chun, chairman of the Chinese Innovation and Invention Society (CIIS) , who led the Taiwanese delegation to the fair in Catania. One of the major Taiwanese winners was a research group from the Department of Oral Medicine at Taipei Medical University, whose dental implants along with other inventions were awarded six gold and one silver medals at the fair. The department's inventions included a dental implant device call Ti-one 101, which allows a faster healing time, and another called Yes Dental that is designed specifically for one-step implant surgeries. The inventors are hoping to make a breakthrough in the medical tourism market with Yes Dental, touting the fact that it shortens the surgical process. Some of the younger participants were high school students from Taipei Fuhsing Private School. Wang Yueh-an, aged 16, presented a "pedal for energy" generator that allows cyclists to generate electricity while pedaling. Ko Hsin-tung, also 16, invented a generator device that allows users to generate electricity with every step they take. Their instructor Chang Hung-hsun said the key to his students' success was their determination to find answers and their ability to think critically. These are some of the most important attributes a scientist can have, he said. The fair, which was held June 3-5, marked the first time that an international invention show was held in Sicily's famous tourist destination of Cantania.