McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University

Dan Brown, clinical associate professor in Northwestern University’s Segal Design Institute, has been featured in a New York Times article about his patented tool, the Bionic Wrench.

Brown, an industrial designer, invented the wrench after watching his son try to work on a lawn mower. The tool features a unique gripping mechanism: a circle of metal prongs inspired by a camera shutter that can lock onto almost any nut or bolt.

The Bionic Wrench, which is manufactured in the United States, was sold in Sears stores until the retailer suddenly stopped ordering the tool. What happened next could lead to a lawsuit over patent infringement.

Read the New York Times article.