Jersey pupils design products to change the world

More than 1,000 school pupils have taken part in a product design competition that aims to inspire the engineers of the future.

Primary and secondary pupils from schools across Jersey have had their ideas judged by local engineers and contest creators Primary Engineer.

Previous winning entries have been brought to life and have gone on to support vulnerable communities.

Primary Engineer's head of partnerships Chris Rochester said some of the ideas pupils had proposed were "extraordinary".

"There's a really good design here today that was a winning design... a pupil said that when they are out on their scooter they wanted their scooter to stop automatically if it encountered traffic or other pedestrians," Rochester said.

"That's well within the realms of possibility now we have cars that have that kind of technology - so why do we not have this on scooters which would keep the people on the scooters safe and keep other pedestrians safe from being hit? Their thinking is extraordinary."

Some of the most successful designs that have gone onto be made include a solar-powered heated sleeping bag for homeless people and a jacket that aids mobility and movement, created by a Lancashire boy to support his cousin with spinal atrophy.

Other winning entries from Jersey include a gum shield with a sonic vibration that cleans your teeth and a screen that transforms photos into AI videos, allowing people living with dementia to interact with loved ones they may have lost.

Rochester said: "This is about pupils being inspired by engineers and about engineers being inspired by pupils."

One winner was Isa Bocus, 5, who designed an interactive car seat for those experiencing sensory overload where a person can eat their meal and play with lego.

"It has a canopy and a leg rest and a table and a plate to eat my food... it has some buttons. You can make it have the leg rest out but the next one has the button that puts the leg rest away", Isa said.

Asked if he wants to build upon his engineering success, Isa said: "I've got other things in mind... I want to be an astronaut."

One of the local judges, Salwa Collas, an engineer at Jersey Electricity, hopes the competition inspires young people, regardless background, to become engineers.

"Previously, it (the engineering industry) was much more dominated by men, but this mindset has changed, and the culture has changed.

"So I came all the way from the Middle East to Jersey to be in an engineering role and then at the leadership role, so I do encourage a lot all these girls and boys now at school to get this inspiration and go forward in engineering fields."

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