Irish student Ronan Leahy, who made the top 15 global shortlist in the 2011 James Dyson Award for his invention 'MediMover', a device to aid in the transfer of patients from hospital beds to other beds, trolleys or surgical tables
For any stragglers out there: design and engineering students from Ireland have until midnight tonight to submit their entries to the international James Dyson Design Award.
We first wrote about the awards in February when James Dyson announced the programme was open for international entries to students hailing from 18 countries, including Ireland.
The 2012 focus of the James Dyson Award is to get young engineers and designers to develop problem-solving inventions.
Previous winners of the award have tackled problems from different angles. Think a buoyancy aid inspired by a grenade launcher to a kitchen tap that can tackle a blaze in your home.
In terms of Ireland, Chris Murphy (23) won Best of Irish in the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Open Pool Transfer invention, which aims to help swimmers with limited mobility. Ronan Leahy from Croom in Co Limerick made the top 15 global shortlist in the 2011 James Dyson Award for his invention ‘MediMover’, a device to aid in the transfer of patients from hospital beds to other beds, trolleys or surgical tables.
Here’s what James Dyson himself had to say about the awards: “Budding engineers and designers can use their fresh perspective to develop wonderfully simple solutions to baffling problems. I challenge applicants to think big and use the award as a springboard for your idea.
The ultimate winner of the global awards will get a top prize of €12,80, plus €12,800 for the design department of their university.
In addition, Irish students have the opportunity to win the national Irish James Dyson Award, worth €1,280, and a certificate of excellence from the James Dyson Foundation.
There are also nine national finalists from each country, as part of the awards.
The award is open to any university-level student of product design, industrial design or engineering or graduate within four years of graduation.
Entries close tonight, 2 August, at midnight. Those entering can submit footage, images and sketches of their ideas to the James Dyson website, along with stories detailing their design process and inspiration.
From there, the submissions will be evaluated by judges around the world and Dyson engineers before James Dyson announces the international winner on 8 November.
