World's Best Invention in 2009

For over two decades Romania has been known in Europe as having a remarkable potential for scientific research. Each year the Romanian scientific researchers stand out at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva where they have often held, from the point of view of the number of Gold and Silver medals, hierarchical positions that have surpassed countries with great scientific traditions such as France, Germany, etc. Therefore the international community was not surprised when a Romanian company won with a majority of votes the most important award in Geneva this year.


At the 37th annual International Exhibition of Inventions held in Geneva from April 1st to 5th, a Bucharest company won the fair's Grand Prix by a unanimous vote of the 82-member jury. The domestically financed firm MB Technology (known in Romania as MB Telecom SRL), prevailed with its automated gamma ray scanner, the Roboscan 1M. It is a historical moment as this is the first time in 37 years that a Romanian inventor receives the Grand Prix of the most prestigious invention fair in the world.


The Romanian invention, dubbed ‘Roboscan 1M,’ represents a mobile and completely robotized gamma ray system capable of ‘seeing’ within containers and trucks without the operator being exposed to the radiation. A complete scan lasts only 30 seconds and the ‘Roboscan’ has already identified cases of smuggling that would have been impossible to detect through other means. A team of 12 Romanian engineers worked on this invention for 4 years, with the EUR 6 M costs being covered by a private Romanian company – MB Telecom – a company that has already been contacted by foreign customers. The product, already patented in Asia, the United States and Europe, is the only such system in the world.


The Roboscan 1M is designed specifically for customs inspections and is reportedly deployed at least at nine Romanian border checkpoints. Its key advantages are: low weight, a minimal personnel requirement, increased maneuverability and productivity, a significant reduction of energy consumption and an extended inspection capability.