A system to stabilise folding ladders on uneven floor surfaces is the winner of the second European edition of the DuPont Imagineering Awards. The designer is Alexander Jabs, born in 1974, a student in Berlin at the Weißensee Academy of Fine Arts. His system was judged to be both innovative and to have good commercial potential. When you climb up the ladder, the arch blocks automatically and thanks to a serrated surface, fits into a track (designed in a rigid thermoplastic polymer), thereby avoiding further opening.

The theme of the second edition of the design competition, open to students, designers and engineers who graduated after 1997 was “safety in recreational activity and leisure time”. From amongst the entries – 700 in total, 225 from France, 142 from Spain, 117 from Italy, 83 from Germany and 73 from the UK – five national juries each selected three finalists. A European jury then chose an overall winner.

Amongst the other finalists were “Make it visible” (Eduard Puertas Anfruns, Spain) a sign which moves in the wind, attracting the attention of walkers, cyclists and skiers to avoid dangerous collisions. The motocross boots “Corrod” (designed by Cedric Ragot, France) have a rigid structure but are articulated by a skeleton which moulds itself around the foot of the motorcyclist to provide the maximum protection. Italian designer Generoso Parmigiani designed “Stop Wheels”, a device to block the wheels on roller blades whilst British designer Adam Slawson came up with “Ad-Card”, a ready to use portable syringe which looks more like a credit card.

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