Eighteen young inventors showed off their winning designs last week at the Museum of Science and Industry.
The two top winners got $10,000 U.S. savings bonds Monday from the sponsors, Craftsman and the National Science Teachers Association.
The winner in the 2nd- through 5th-grade category, Ryan Jordan, was in 5th grade at Corbett Elementary School in Tucson, Ariz., when he came up with Extract-a-Nail, a W-shaped tool that removes nails.
Christopher Whetzel, the winner in grades 6 through 8, was a 6th grader from Marsteller Middle School in Bristow, Va., who created the Over the Edge Wheelchair Lift, a pulley system to help his mother sit upright after leaning over the side of her wheelchair.
Ten finalists received $5,000 savings bonds. Two pupils from St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich were among 18 regional winners:
Brittany Blum invented the E-Z Can Strainer, which allows a person with arthritis to hold an opened can with the lid in place to strain liquids.
Morgan Forgette invented the Sani-Scooper, a hollow-handle tool with a bag that is used to clean a litter box.