Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal: Public Vote
Young engineers have brought to life the innovative designs imagined by school pupils, creating prototypes that showcase creativity, engineering skills, and teamwork. 24 prototypes were built this year, 17 were shortlisted and 10 will be awarded medals.
These Prototypes are going to be awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold Medals at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony in November, but there is one more thing being awarded – The Commendation Medal.
This is awarded to the Prototype the public has selected as their favourite, and voting is now open.
These prototypes came from the ideas of school pupils who answered the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” as part of Primary Engineer’s Leaders Award Competition.
These ideas have been brought to life by talented young engineers who have worked hard to turn these ideas into real, working Prototypes. By voting, you’ll not only help recognise the hard work of these engineers but also celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of the school pupils whose designs sparked these projects.
Voting will be open until Friday November 15th, and the winner will be announced at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony on November 19th.
Your vote will help decide which prototype the public think stands out above the rest. So take a look, be inspired, and choose your favourite! Every vote counts and goes a long way to support these #EngineersInTheMaking.
Meet the Teams, Pupils and Prototypes before casting your vote!
Clean Water Access Bot
ProtoTeam: GKN Aerospace
Pupil: Ben, Year 5
Description: The Clean Water Access Bot (C.W.A.B) is a solar-powered vehicle that autonomously collects, purifies, and delivers clean water from remote sources to areas with limited access, aiming to provide safe drinking water to underserved communities.
Switch-a-Boot
ProtoTeam: Manchester Metropolitan University
Pupil: Noah, Year 6
Description: The Switch-A-Boot is a versatile football boot concept with interchangeable outer soles, allowing athletes to adapt to various playing surfaces while reducing costs, enhancing sustainability, and supporting a circular economy by minimizing waste and improving recyclability through easy disassembly
Moving Solar Panel
ProtoTeam: Queens University Belfast
Pupil: Sam, Year 6
Description: The Moving Solar Panel enhances the utility of photovoltaic (PV) systems on non-optimally oriented rooftops by using a mounting system that allows panels to shift positions, maximizing solar energy capture on east-west facing roofs, despite potential cost challenges; it explores innovative flipping and tracking designs to improve efficiency and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal.
Self Regulation Bracelet
ProtoTeam: University of Sunderland
Pupil: Zoeya, Year 3
Description: The Self Regulation Bracelet is designed to improve communication in classrooms for neurodivergent students by using a button-activated system that provides visual responses through colored lights, offering a discrete and impactful solution for enhancing interactions between students, peers, and teachers.
Smart Sink
ProtoTeam: Thales – Belfast
Pupil: Seyi, Year 4
Description: The Smart Sink, designed to track and display water usage, volume, and cost, aims to address water cost awareness in homes without meters, with future integration potential for other household water-using areas, focusing initially on the kitchen sink design.
Tap of Germs
ProtoTeam: Thales – Cheadle
Pupil: Madiha, Year 8
Description: The Tap of Germs integrates software, UV light, and handwashing gel to guide users through effective handwashing and ensure cleanliness, aiming to reduce the spread of germs and improve hand hygiene practices, addressing the issue that 97% of people don’t wash their hands properly.
Sign right
ProtoTeam: Thales – Crawley
Pupil: Scarlett, Year 6
Description: Sign Right is an innovative sign language translator app that allows users to record a 10-second video of sign language and translates it into text in real-time, enhancing communication for children with hearing loss in educational settings through user-friendly design and practical classroom tools.
Solar Powered Heated Blanket
ProtoTeam: Thales – Glasgow
Pupil: Rebecca, Primary 7
Description: The Solar-Powered Heated Blanket features solar panels that charge a battery during the day, which powers the blanket at night. Stored in a weatherproof rucksack with a 3D-printed frame to hold the panels, it includes smart controls for heat settings and a temperature sensor for safety. It provides a convenient, reusable solution designed to help the homeless stay warm.
Walkie Frame
ProtoTeam: Thales – Templecombe
Pupil: Erin, Year 7
Description: The Walkie-Frame is a walking frame designed with detachable side-mounted walking sticks and clip-on storage bags, aimed at improving convenience and usability for elderly individuals living in small spaces, and enhancing daily living.
Seed Planting Drone
ProtoTeam: University of Southampton
Pupil: Emily, Year 3
Description: The automated seed-planting robot addresses soil degradation and biodiversity loss by regenerating soil quality through effective seed planting, featuring automated soil sensing for optimal seed selection and eco-friendly design for use in low-accessibility areas, aiming to enhance sustainability and reduce environmental impact.