Edward T. Bednarz III, Wilkes University assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded a patent for his invention titled, “System for Identifying the Magnitude and Position of a Load within a Weight Area of a Beam.”
Bednarz developed a methodology to determine the magnitude and locations of loads on a simply supported beam using strain gages. A practical application of the invention would be to turn a bridge into a living scale when vehicles were crossing. The invention, known as a force transducer, is based on research conducted for his doctoral dissertation. The research was first developed in conjunction with work Bednarz was doing with U.S. Army.
“I am truly blessed to be in an exciting profession where I could innovate and discover new things,” Bednarz said. “As a professor I hope to encourage and inspire the next generation of great inventors to change the world.”
This is the fourth patent Bednarz has received. He also has received patents for a design for an adjustable wheelchair, a radar antenna safety brace and a deflection plate on a mobile dynamometer.
