Big Bang Competition winners announced

The announcement includes the new UK Young Engineer Award.

The Big Bang Competition, run by charity EngineeringUK, is a nationwide competition for young engineers, scientists and technologists aged 11 to 18, which recognises and rewards talented young innovators. There are a range of awards and prizes on offer, with the top 3 winners each receiving £1,000 prize money.

The winning projects were primarily healthcare related, with good uses of materials seen.

Engineering award-winning examples include a solar powered, remote-controlled machine that harnesses nanotechnology to clean oil spills in the ocean, and a hand-held air quality monitor for asthma patients that tracks fine particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and humidity that syncs to a smartphone to help people with asthma monitor risk levels with a view to preventing attacks. 

Aaron Lord, a year 12 student from Greenhead College in Yorkshire, has been crowned UK Young Engineer of the Year for his project to support those taking regular medication, particularly people with dementia and memory difficulties,

The design uses mechanics, electronics and computer-aided design (CAD), and includes a pulsing light and bleeping noise to signal that pills are ready to take, it also includes a health-monitoring component to track users’ heart rate and oximetry.