Dartmouth Engineer

Photograph by Douglas Fraser.

Every fire station could use this: a sensing device attached to the front of a fire truck ladder that measures distance from a building and relays the information to a computer below. The system makes it possible for a single operator to position a rescue ladder without the use of a spotter, an advantage during smoky, noisy emergencies. The Norwich, Vt., fire department gave it a successful test run at MacLean Engineering Sciences Center at the end of fall term. Inventors Frances Davenport ’13, John Mascari ’13, Noam Rosenthal ’13, Maya Viavant ’12, and Brynne Weeks ’12 earned the Phillip R. Jackson Award for best performance in ENGS 21: “Introduction to Engineering.” Their teaching assistant was Emily Mason-Osann ’11.