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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 10th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2007> A Hero suffered from infantile paralysis-Liu Ta-Tan
Utilizing waste to create a new life
      Liu Ta-Tan, president of Su Pao De Machinery Co., Ltd., was the first physically disabled inventor in the world, who had won a lot of honors, such as the First Prize of National Invention Exhibition, the Golden Medal of Geneva International Invention, the Golden Medal of Germany International Invention and Top Ten S&T Talents of National Science Council. He was a real warrior who could make inventions with wastes. He was suffered from infantile paralysis when he was two years old. Since then, he had to crawl on like a crocodile until 7 years old when his father taught him how to walk on shoes. He did not care what kind of difficulties he faced in life. The only thing he would do was to bravely face all kinds of challenges. 

      He was a self-esteemed, friendly and go-ahead man, and graduated from Si Ling Elementary School, Feng Ming Junior High School to Taichung Industrial High School and Feng Jia University. He was once rejected by more than 200 factories, but also acted as a R&D manager. Now, he is the chairman of Su Pao De Machinery, which is engaged in the production of many products such as: high-rise safety elevator, soft starter, electric control valve, universal fan and high-temperature oval valve for incinerator, etc. He married Chang Xiu-Hui and had three lovely and healthy daughters then. 

      Liu Ta–Tan bravely faced all kinds of challenges and made many inventions with wastes. His story was highly recognized by “2007 Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal Review Committee” of Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation. So, Liu Ta–Tan was invited to join the Tenth Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal ceremony From May, 22nd to May 30th, 2007 and to take part in a series of public welfare activities in Taiwan, Jinmen. 

      Liu Ta-Tan, male, 51 years old, born on July 21, 1956 in Nantou County. He was eager to go to school since he was seven years old. But his mother didn’t agree since she worried about him. When he asked the same question at eight years old, his mother refused again. When he was nine years old, he changed his idea and turned to his father. His father consulted with the headmaster of Si Ling Elementary School, who advised to buy a tricycle and encouraged him to go to school. Then, he could go to school and made good performance in the elementary school. 

      However, owing to the unfavorable traffic conditions, Ta-Tan found it difficult to go to school whenever it was raining. In such case, his eldest sister saved money to buy a tricycle for him. 

      After he was graduated from the primary school, his father consulted with his friends. Someone suggested shoeshining, or carving or even making a living by begging at the bus station. But this wasn’t what he desired. 

      He had no way but to pray for the God. Three or four months later, his dreams came true. A junior high school was built around the elementary school. Later, he was graduated from Feng Ming Junior High School with best performance. 

      Prior to graduation from this school, Ta-Tan wanted to take further study while his father wanted him to learn watch repair. He had to ask for the help of his teacher. After strenuous study, he was enrolled to Taichung Industrial High School, wherein he showed strong interest in mechanics graphing. 

      In the summer vacation, he took a part-time job in an ironworks to earn some tuition. He had learned a lot of things that he could not learn in the school. In winter holidays, he sold his couplets everywhere. 

      After graduation, he was eager to devote himself to Taiwan’s industry. But he could not find any job at first. He did not give up. He had found more than two hundred factories. Luckily, someone would like to give him a chance. Ta-Tan tried his best to work out good design packages. He was promoted gradually, and later worked as a R&D manager. 

      Ta-Tan met difficulties in pursuit of his girl friend, since her relatives and friends, especially her father turned a cold shoulder on him. Ta-Tan persuaded his upcoming father-in-law to agree their marriage and showed a strong willpower and great love to his girl friend. Finally, they got married and had three daughters. 

      What Ta-Tan was adept at was to utilize “wastes”. Though he was physically disabled, he made best use of his mind and hands to make contributions to Taiwan’s industry. He was capable of changing waste to something useful within a short time. For example, no one believed he could drive a car 15 years ago. But, when he bought a car, he made some modifications with tools and then drove away 30 minutes later. 

      Ta-Tan liked to take a morning walk in the residential area. Occasionally, he found there was a lot of dog’s dung on the beautiful grass. Then he employed a big umbrella and a soap box to design a simple clip to clean the dog’s dung. Since then, the environment of the residential area became clean and clear. 

      Universal fan was invented when he once visited his friend. It was a hot day. There was only one fanner and people had to gather around it. When he returned home, he used only a biscuit box and some window blinds to work out the universal fan. Speed-shift Hand tricycle was invented when he went abroad to join a competition. In order to board the airplane with his hand tricycle, he made a modification to make it more flexible. When he drove it to Germany, someone wanted to buy it with 500 Marks (about NT$10,000). 

      Enlightened by a fire accident, he tried to invent a kind of equipment which could help people escape from the fire scene. At first, he failed. But later he was happy to find the way from a spider who slid from a grape shelf. He invented a spider safety elevator, and applied for a patent right. Also, he won the First Prize of National Invention Competition and the Golden Medal of International Invention Competition. 

      When he heard about a piece of news that Mr. Lian Zhan had been trapped in the elevator for two hours in Yuanshan Hotel, he invented a safety elevator which could take the passengers to the ground floor in the case of power failure or elevator breakdown. This invention was patented and also made him win the Golden Brain Prize. Liu Ta-Tan’s story tells us that God helps those who help themselves.
      *Summary of Liu Ta-Tan’s Events* 
      Specialty: 
      Design and manufacture of CNC machine tools and automatic machine, 
      Computer-aided design, graphing, analysis, simulation, 
      R&D of new products 
      3D presentation.
      Famous Products: 
      Spider safety elevator 
      Energy-saving elevator 
      Soft starter 
      Electric control valve 
      Universal fan 
      High-temperature oval valve for incinerator
      Summary of awards: 
      The Golden Medal of Mechanical Graphing Skill Competition (1984). 
      The First Prize of National Invention Exhibition (1989). 
      The Golden Medal Prize of National Invention Exhibition (1990). 
      The Golden Medal of Geneva International Invention (1990). 
      The Golden Medal of Germany International Invention (1991).
      Top ten S&T talents of National Science Council(1991). 
      Presidential S&T Prize of Renaissance Movement Association(1995). 
      The Innovation and Research Prize of SME of the Ministry of Economy(1994). 
      The Jinyi Prize--the outstanding physically disabled selected by Taiwan Government(1995). 
      The Golden Medal of 3D Mechanical Graphing Competition (2004).