Winners announced for the i-Teams What Would You Use THAT For? competition at the Science Festival
Young science and engineering enthusiasts thronged into the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) on the West Cambridge site on the last Saturday in March, experiencing the IfM in Virtual Reality, having their pictures etched in metal by lasers, and learning about robots and how engineers change the world.
The i-Teams What Would You Use THAT For? competition runs each year at the Institute for Manufacturing , and asks the entrants to imagine ways of using any of the technologies they had seen that afternoon.
Attendees were able to try out a range of innovative science-based products which included live whiteboard sharing from Kaptivo, an interactive projector from Light Blue Optics and a personalised catflap from SureFlap, seeing first-hand how science really can improve our daily lives.
There was also a focus on sound, including sound recognition software from Audio Analytic, and a demonstration of “The Sounds of Space” from The British Antarctic Survey.
Amy Weatherup, competition organiser, said: “Many thanks to everyone who entered our competition, and to the visitors who were so enthusiastic about the products we were demonstrating. All the competition entrants came up with really original ideas about how to use the technologies.”
In the 7 and under category, the winner is:
• Samuel, from Icknield Primary School, for his idea of an “anti-brother in bedroom device” based on RFID microchips
In the 8-13 category, the winners are:
• Edie, aged 10, from Mayfield Primary School, for her idea of using an interactive projector to change museum displays every day
• Dom, aged 10, from Girton Glebe Primary School, for his idea of making a prosthetic limb from LEGO
• Magnus, from Icknield Primary School, for his idea of a “lock stopper” device to protect your home or bicycle
In the 12-15 category, the winner is:
• Ellen, aged 15, from Impington Village College, for her idea of using the frequency analysis software to identify voices at a crime scene
The winners will receive science-based prizes and a special certificate of their award-winning idea. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to enter the competition and provide their imaginative ideas.
