Seven inventors who want to fix the future
The James Dyson Award (JDA) is a design competition for aspiring student inventors. The only criteria for entries is that they “solve a problem” no matter how big or small. Here we explore some of the most interesting new and old entries to this fascinating competition…
01 — Gilaasi, tap-to-dark sunglasses and spectacles
Invented by: Bukki Adedapo, UK
What problem does it solve?
What should do prescription glasses wearers do when the sun shines? Inventor, Bukki, admits this isn’t the most urgent problem ever, but his solution is a pair of glasses which become sunglasses with just a tap.
How does it work?
Gilaasi employs electronically adjustable lenses by adding a printed circuit board (PCB) and a battery to a pair of stylish spectacle frames. Each lens is made using liquid crystal technology which, when a current is passed through it, tints to block excess light without becoming opaque.
“I bought my first, and only, pair of photochromic lenses because I thought automatic sunglasses would equal automatic sophistication when the sun shines. I was wrong. After being teased I decided there must be a better way.”
— Bukki Adedapo
02 — Lighthouse, Cracked water-pipe robotic sensor
Invented by: You Wu, USA
What problem does it solve?
Every day, 20 per cent of the world’s clean water is lost through pipe leaks. Undetected fractures and weaknesses can cause pipes to burst causing costly damage to roads and other urban infrastructure. The direct cost of these leaks in the US alone is over $2 billion a year.
How does it work?
Lighthouse is a low-cost robot that travels through water pipes proactively finding leaks before they become a problem. As the robot is pulled by the flow of water, sensors record the suction force generated by a leak. Lighthouse records the location of a fault, reducing time spent excavating entire pipelines.
What attracted me to this design is that even though it’s using cutting-edge technology, it’s still a very straightforward and simple solution. It is finding a physical problem in a physical way, and it’s also very practical.”
— Isis Shiffer, US JDA judge and 2016 prize winner
03 — The sKan, An optical skin cancer detection device
Invented by: Michael Takla, Rotimi Fadiya, Shivad Bhavsar, and Prateek Mathur
What problem does it solve?
Skin cancer accounts for one in three cancer diagnoses. But, five year survival rates where melanomas are found early is 98 per cent. Current diagnoses rely on visual inspection. The sKan allows anyone, anywhere to check for melanomas.
How does it work?
Research shows that when an area of skin is rapidly cooled, cancerous tissue heats up faster than non-cancerous variants. The sKan assists physicians detecting melanomas by creating a thermal map of the region of interest, pinpointing areas of tissue that gain heat quicker than the surrounding area of skin.
“Using widely available and inexpensive components, The sKan allows for melanoma skin cancer detection to be readily accessible to the many. It’s a very clever device with the potential to save lives around the world.”
— Sir James Dyson.
04— Layer, Replaceable sew on sole shoes
Invented by: Evan Stuart, Ireland
What problem does it solve?
So-called ‘fast fashion’ trends mean that on the whole, shoes are designed to be seasonal, cheap and disposable — with over 22 billion pairs made each year. This contributes to global waste, with 300 million pairs of shoes sent to landfills every year because they cannot be recycled.
How does it work?
Layer shoes are designed using biodegradable and recyclable materials. Using a modular design which can allows people to repair and customise their own shoes, it is easier to keep up with trends hopefully resulting in less waste.
“For sustainable footwear to be widely accepted, the shoe must be desirable, comfortable and stylish. With Layer you can swap out individual parts to repair wear and tear, or personalise it to match seasonal trends.”
— Evan Stuart, inventor.
05 — Potato Plastic, Single-use plastic replacement
Invented by: Pontus Törnqvist, Sweden
What problem does it solve?
Single-use plastic in the fast food industry takes 450 years to biodegrade, while only being used for 20 minutes on average.
How does it work?
Potato plastic is a revolutionary organic compound which is made using only potato starch and water. Once created, it takes just two months to decompose, allowing the fast food industry to reduce the environmental impact of its plastic cutlery.
“Potato Plastic comes from the ground and can be composted without harm to nature. The idea can also be adapted to other countries and to what crops they grow there.”
— Pontus Törnqvist, inventor.
06 — Excelscope 2.0, Smartphone Malaria Diagnosis Tool
Invented by: Jan Sebastian van Ackeren, Linde de Jonge, Krishna Thiruvengadam Rajagopal, Julieta Bolanos, Francesco De Fazio and Gerianne Boer
What problem does it solve?
Malaria is a problem which primarily affects poorer nations where access to testing and diagnostic equipment is limited. By automating the analysis of blood samples using an algorithm to check if malaria parasites are present, Excelscope 2.0 reduces the workload for medical staff in developing nations.
How does it work?
Using an adapted smartphone with a ball-lens to magnify and identify malaria parasites of 1μm in blood samples. The device uses cheap and replaceable technology to ensure doctors can easily use or repair it.
“In the coming months, the Excelscope 2.0 will be tested in the field in Africa, after which we will gain user feedback on potential improvements.”
— Jan Sebastian van Ackeren
07 — Ecohemlet, Foldable paper bike helmet
Invented by: Isis Shiffer
What problem does it solve?
Bike share schemes are used by millions of people globally, but users rarely wear helmets. In 2016, 840 cyclists were killed on US roads.
How does it work?
EcoHelmet is a foldable and recyclable helmet designed for people in cities who use bicycle sharing schemes. The patented design has a unique honeycomb structure which helps to protect the head from impact if a cyclist is involved in an accident. Despite being made from cardboard, the helmet uses radial folds making it surprisingly strong.
“EcoHelmet solves an obvious problem in an incredibly elegant way. But its simplicity belies an impressive amount of research and development I look forward to seeing EcoHelmets used in bike shares across the world.”
— Sir James Dyson.
Words: Emily Mills, Staff Writer
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