David Moeller, ME 02, left, Laura Major Forest, IE 02, and Craig Forest, ME 01, are all smiles after an

Georgia Tech mechanical engineering alums David Moeller and Craig Forest were selected as the "American Inventor" New York City finalists and received $50,000 to further develop their product.

In an episode that aired on ABC June 27, Moeller, ME 02, and Forest, ME 01, impressed the judges, including Atlanta-based Spanx founder Sara Blakely, with The Claw, a replacement for a ceiling hook from which to hang a bicycle. The Claw latches on to the front or back tire with just a vertical motion and eliminates the struggle to wrestle a bike onto a hook.

By winning the New York portion of the competition, The Claw is propelled to the finals in Los Angeles, where Moeller and Forest will try to beat out five other city winners to claim the $1 million grand prize and the "American Inventor" title.

Moeller finished his first year at Harvard Business School and Forest earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering at MIT this spring.

"We met while studying engineering at Georgia Tech," Moeller told the judges.

Judge Pat Croce got out of his seat to try out The Claw. "This is wonderful," he said. "I tell you this thing is great."

Outside the audition room, Forest explained the pair's motivation. "We share a common passion for invention, solving problems in everyday society," he said. "Our long-term goal is to really have an impact on the world as spokesmen for the engineering community."

Forest's wife, Laura Major Forest, IE 02, explained that the inventors saw an ad for a casting call in The New York Times and decided to give it a shot. "Craig originally had the idea for The Claw in his senior design class at Georgia Tech. Dave contacted him a couple of years ago to resurrect the idea and try to make it a real product. Together they have taken it from an idea to an engineering prototype and they hope to make it a real product on the show."

An "American Inventor" crew went to Boston about a month ago to tell the men they had won the New York City contest. Cameras were on hand when Moeller and Forest, surrounded by family and friends, received their check for $50,000.

As the credits rolled, Forest said, "This is our chance for engineers everywhere. We're going to make it happen."

Soon after that, Moeller and Forest were flown to Hollywood to work on The Claw. They expect to return to the television screen in late July, after all six finalists have been selected.

"The next stage is for the judges to eliminate three of the contestants. And then America will vote to select the winner," Laura Forest said.