James Dyson Award: Dyson Engineers' Top Fifty

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 25, 2012) -

Editors Note: There are three photos associated with this press release.

Dyson engineers have selected their top fifty entries to this year's James Dyson Award from over 700 inventions from 18 countries. The successful entries will now progress to the international final before the winner of the £10,000 prize is announced by James Dyson on 8^th November.

For the full list of finalists visit: www.jamesdysonaward.org. A selection of the shortlisted entries is included below.

Canada - Koriolis Centrifuge

Problem: Anaemia affects 1.3 billion people around the world and is responsible for up to 40% of maternal deaths due to childbirth (Viteri et al.). A rapid diagnosis of anaemia involves centrifuging blood. However, state-of-the-art centrifuges are expensive (more than US$1000) and require electricity.

Solution: This device is designed to spin human blood to diagnose fatal diseases like anaemia and malaria but unlike other devices on the market it is powered by retrofitting a power drill and running it backwards. This eliminates the use of relying on advanced machining tools or significant manufacturing processes. This machine is also made from low cost materials decreasing the cost of these machines to approximately $160. This allows developing countries healthier more supported communities.

UK - Safety Net

Problem: Deep sea fishing is unsustainable. It is indiscriminate and captures fish too young or small to be taken to market. This leads to waste as millions of dead fish are chucked back into the sea every year and fish stocks dwindle.

Solution: SafetyNet uses a series of rings to offer young and unmarketable fish an escape route from the trawler net. The rings utilise kinetic energy to create exit signs and guide fish to safety.

Patrick Moloney, Senior Dyson design engineer said: "SafetyNet approaches the problem of overfishing in a simple way, appealing to the natural responses of fish. Dan has taken the problem back to the root, analysed the issue in depth and applied a simple problem solving approach."

Spain - Hop

Problem: Suitcases are heavy and cumbersome. Lugging one around an airport is usually a frustrating precursor to a holiday.

Solution: Hop follows its owner obediently by detecting signals from the owner's mobile phone. Using these signals it keeps at a constant distance from its owner.

Belgium - Baridi

Problem: In Africa approximately 40% of the harvested fruit and vegetables are spoiled due to bad transportation and lack of cooling.

Solution: Baridi is a transportable climate chamber which maintains a suitable temperature for the transportation of harvested crops without expensive, power consuming cooling. It is powered using water and the sun, prolonging the shelf life from one or two days to more than a week. This reduces the loss of crops to only 5% and can increase the profit by approximately 450%.

Australia - O2 Pursuit

Problem: With an ever increasing global population, environmental impact and sustainability become more and more difficult to keep under control.

Solution: O2 pursuit is a motorbike which replaces petrol with air, using a Rotary Air engine. This engine is powered by air which is compressed using solar and wind energy.

Austria - Tooth hero

Problem: Maintaining good oral hygiene in young children is important but can be difficult and time consuming.

Solution: Tooth hero is a device for children, which creates an interactive game encouraging the act of oral and dental hygiene among children.

Malaysia - Air Go

Problem: Economy cabins in aeroplanes date back to the late 1960s. Travelling in economy is often uncomfortable and can create back and circulatory problems.

Solution: Air Go is a low-cost approach to re designing economy cabin giving the passenger more room, and a more comfortable flight. The back of the chair uses a flexible strong nylon mesh allowing the chair to mould to the shape of your back reducing fatigue and overheating. Three motors allow the chair to be adapted to the perfect reclining position eliminating back and neck pain.

Germany - Plasma Hygiene System

Problem: Hygiene within medical environments is increasingly important as more advanced treatments evolve.

Solution: Using low-temperature-plasma, this system creates a simple but very effective method for maintaining good hygiene conditions within a hospital environment. This eliminates the use of hand sanitizers, reducing waste and preventing the spread of infection and disease.

USA - Human powered refrigeration

Problem: Most vaccines need to be kept refrigerated between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (PoweringHealth.org). Any temperatures outside that strict range are unacceptable. This is a problem in developing nations where electricity is limited. The World Health Organization reports that vaccine wastage rates may be as high as 50% in some cases.

Solution: At an estimated unit cost of $50, O2 pursuit creates an environment that keeps vaccines at an optimum temperature preventing medication spoiling due to heat and keeping costs low in developing countries. This works through kinetic energy that charges a battery powering the unit to keep the medication cool.

Ireland - U-neat

Problem: Hygiene in hospitals remains a high importance to prevent the risk of bacteria and disease spreading between patients and visitors.

Solution: U-neat is a furniture unit which incorporates a seam free filleted surface eliminating corners for bacteria to build and facilitate easy cleaning. This unit also provides hygienic seating for patients, creating a controlled and clean environment for visitors.

Stephen Courtney, Head of New Product Innovation at Dyson said: "Paddy has investigated an issue that he has experienced firsthand. With U-Neat, the production method is tailored to the function. By rotary moulding ABS plastic, the U-neat is seam free which eliminate corners for bacteria to thrive in."

New Zealand - Axolotl

Problem: The harvesting of wood and natural materials is required to fulfil demand for producing fuel. It is essential that we develop more sustainable methods. Current harvesting methods require return visits to a forest, causing soil erosion and damage to surrounding trees.

Solution: Axolotl is a machine that allows the act of felling trees to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This machine allows trees to be cut right from ground level, feeding them straight into a machine. This extraction process can then return needles to the soil for nutrients, while the branches gathered in a separate container can be re-used as an alternative energy fuel.

Russia - Blitz

Problem: Preparing food for cooking is time consuming. Busy lifestyles mean that everyday tasks need to become quicker and easier.

Solution: BLITZ users a series of lasers to cut food into any shape or size required. Food is placed into a container and the user can programme the laser to cut as required. No needless mess and no need for knives and a chopping board.

Stephen Courtney, Head of New Product Innovation at Dyson said: "Today lasers are commonly used in most medical disciplines but Blitz takes a different angle. Although this device eliminates the dangers of cooking with sharp knives Blitz's technology shows how industrial technology can be applied to many more every day frustrations."

France - Tostit

Problem: Existing toasters allow toasted bread to cool quickly and can use an unnecessary amount of energy.

Solution: This device optimises the rising heat produced by the toaster keeping the toast hot and crispy whilst reducing the amount of energy consumed.

Patrick Moloney, Senior Dyson design engineer said: "This invention really touches on an everyday frustration. Toasters have barely been touched since the early 20^th century. It utilises the heat it produces well in order to save energy but create something simple and very effective."

Singapore - MK1 Scavenger

Problem: With growing populations rubbish and waste in rivers becomes a growing problem and particularly difficult to contain.

Solution: Scavenger MK1 is a remote controlled vessel that collects rubbish and other waste on the water's surface. With this use of a camera and remote control the operator can control the boats direction and the capacity of the vessel. This reduces the number of workforce needed and creates a safer environment to work in.

Switzerland - Accolade

Problem: Wheelbarrows are frustratingly lacking in capacity. They tend to be too small for the task at hand and overflow with loose debris and soil when manoeuvred.

Solution: By turning the wheelbarrow into a two-wheeled trolley with a removable tarpaulin holding system, Accolade is able to contain a much higher volume of material, and is easier to load and unload. Less spills and more material in the bag.

Japan - Water Support Bottle

Problem: Accessible clean drinking water is essential in our everyday lives. Some less developed countries are unable to provide everyone with safe drinking water which causes dehydration, and can lead to heat stroke.

Solution: Using a built in water filter this water bottle is able to provide clean drinking water where there is not a safe source of water available. Not only does this provide drinking water but this device also incorporates a cover that can be used as a support for an injury on your wrist or ankle. This too contains a cooling gel that is not only able to cool the water inside the bottle but be applied to someone experiencing heat stroke and reduce the swelling from an injury.

Patrick Moloney, Senior Dyson design engineer said: "A great deal of thought has gone into considering every potential situation that this bottle might find itself. The bottle is going to come under serious stress on its journey but is robust and well designed."

Holland - ReWired

Problem: Rooms used for different functions require varying lighting styles to create the right environment. With fixed ceiling lighting this becomes extremely difficult.

Solution: Using a cable and pully system, ReWired enables you to adjust the location of a ceiling light.

Stephen Courtney, Head of New Product Innovation at Dyson said: "Rewired is wonderfully simple. The technology it is using is not groundbreaking - but it is well executed. It puts the user in complete control, a growing expectation."

Italy - Ginkgo

Problem: Umbrellas can be unreliable, heavy and fragile whilst creating a large amount of waste.

Solution: Gingko is an umbrella made from polypropylene, a light and strong plastic. This can reduce an umbrella by 80% in size, increasing the reliability preventing the umbrella from turning inside out and simplifying the production.

Stephen Courtney, Head of New Product Innovation at Dyson said: "Umbrellas are too often designed to be disposable. Gingko is a clever way of reimagining the problem and using stronger rather than cheap materials to bolster the structure."

A further 38 projects will go through to the next stage of the competition, these are listed below.

Medical and Safety

U-Neat, Tooth-hero, ISO play, Manche secur-IT, Dentassist, Microlab, Smart Aid, Skyway, EM Tracker, Koriolis Centerfuge, Emergency Air Drop, Plasma Hygiene System, Human Powered Refrigeration, Blind assistance technology buckle, Revival vest, NiVibro, Fil'o, Blitz, Water Support Bottle, Lati, Thadeus, EEL Barrier, Beo, HiKlimb, The BETH project, OttoClave, Medical Humidifier, Alto.

Transport

S-Cargo, Air Go, Hop, Hydrodynamic damper of bridge oscillations.

Environment, Surroundings and Sustainability

Baridi, SafetyNet, Out of thin Air, Desalador Portátil, Axoltl, Re-Wired, Scavenger MK 1, 02 Pursuit, Tostit, E-Source, Stephoe, Gingko, Accolade, Bicyclean, Balde a Balde: Safe Aqua, GiraDora: Safe Aqua, LOUIS.

Education

Reach and Match

The James Dyson Award

• This year's competition saw over 700 entries for the international prize from 18 countries.
• The James Dyson Award is run by the James Dyson Foundation, a registered charity supporting design, technology and engineering education, medical research charities and local community projects. The James Dyson Foundation works with schools and universities around the UK and internationally.
• The award was open to any student of product design, industrial design or design engineering (or graduate within four years of graduation) who is studying or studied in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA.
• Toronto's Michal Prywata and Thiago Caires were the 2011 Canadian National Winners for their one-of-a-kind product AMO Arm - a prosthetic limb that is controlled using brain signals. AMO Arm replaces an invasive, costly and lengthy surgical procedure, dramatically improving the quality of life for amputees.
• This year Dyson have employed 100 more engineers and by the end of the year this figure will have doubled. Graduate design engineers, mechanical engineers and acoustic engineers are among those joining the UK team. Several previous award winners and runners-up have gone on to be employed by Dyson.

Key Dates:

18^th October - The international finalists of the James Dyson award will be announced. All of these projects will go through to the final stages of the award for a chance to win £10,000.

8^th November - The International James Dyson Award winner will be announced. The winner will receive: £10,000 (for the student or the team) and £10,000 for the winner's university department. There will be 2 runners up for the overall James Dyson award will receive £2000 each.

For more information on the work of the James Dyson Foundation and news visit www.facebook.com/JamesDysonFoundation or www.twitter.com/JDF_Tweets.

Follow this link to the 'opening of entries' YouTube video for the JDA 2012.

The 2013 James Dyson Award will open for entries in early 2013 - visit www.jamesdysonaward.org for more information.

To view the first photo associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20120924-isoplayprototype800.jpg.

To view the second photo associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20120924-koriolisprototype800.jpg.

To view the third photo associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20120924-thinair800.jpg.