Professor at Y. may showcase 'marvel'

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), May 12, 2007 by David Rasmussen Deseret Morning News

PROVO -- Has a modern marvel been invented at Brigham Young University?

A BYU professor of civil engineering has been named one of 25 semifinalists to win a chance to be featured on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels," a popular show that gives viewers a glance at significant inventions past and present.

David Jensen's invention, a machine designed to create 3-D lattice structures in a continuous process, was selected from a field of more than 3,300 entries.

Jensen, along with the 24 other semifinalists, are in New York this weekend for the final competition. Five finalists will be selected, with a grand-prize winner chosen from among them. At least one of the finalists will be featured on episodes of "Modern Marvel," set to air Tuesday and Wednesday on the History Channel.

Jensen said he is excited about the possibilities that his machine offers. It provides the ability to create complex lattice structures faster and cheaper than conventional methods, making it more feasible to mass-construct complex IsoTruss structures already in use.

"There are some geometries of the IsoTruss structure that cannot be made by hand," Jensen said. "The machines allow us to do that. This machine opens up new possibilities there."

IsoTruss structures, developed in the mid-1990s by a team of BYU engineering students, are made up of a redundant, complex pattern of pyramids and isosceles triangles to create a lighter alternative to everyday wood, steel and aluminum structures, according to the IsoTruss Web site.

Using fiber-reinforced composites to maximize performance, IsoTruss structures will support weights similar, if not greater, than those supported by conventional structures. Additionally, Jensen said they are more resistant to wind forces due to decreased drag.

Jensen said such structures have proven to perform particularly well in utility poles, cellular towers and even bicycle frames. However, because of the complex geometric shapes used, manufacturing such structures has been a very labor-intensive endeavor.

The costs of manufacturing prompted a 2001 trip to China for Jensen. He went in search of a company willing to build the structures at lower labor costs. It was then that Jensen found the spark of intuition needed for his machine.

"Going to China was when I realized that cheap labor wasn't the answer," he said. "The skills just didn't match up, and it was going to be a challenge to get them to make good quality IsoTruss structures. That led to the development of the machine."

With the machine, Jensen enabled the continuous fabrication of the complex patterns, eliminating expensive labor and manufacturing costs. The machine enables new structures to be designed without having to design a new mandrel for every configuration, according to a BYU news release.

"We're always pleased when our faculty's good works are recognized," said BYU spokesman Michael Smart. "I personally have known Dr. Jensen and worked with him for a number of years, and this recognition is certainly well-deserved."

When asked about his thoughts on winning the competition, Jensen said, "I'm not overly optimistic just because we're looking at an entire spectrum where any possible invention could be considered," he said.

"The inventions they've chosen cover a wide range of disciplines, and some of them affect people in a greater way. What we have will affect the economy a great deal, but I don't know if it will affect people.

"Being an industrial machine, it's probably not as exciting as being a new gadget for your golf club."

E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com