At-home breast cancer check wins James Dyson Award 2022

A tool that can detect suspicious lumps in breast tissue, a barrier that prevents plastic waste from reaching the ocean, and a bicycle helmet that transmits vibrations for deaf people were amongst the 29 winning projects for a prestigious international engineering competition.

The young people behind the ingenious inventions won the national leg of the James Dyson Award 2022 in their respective countries. Some of the winners will progress to the international stages of the competition, which starts in October.

In the UK, the award went to DotPlot, which developed an at-home breast health monitoring tool that offers guided self-checks. The system, which uses sound signals and a mobile app, is designed to facilitate early detection of breast cancer by enabling and encouraging women to stick to a regular self-check routine. 

The James Dyson Award is aimed at celebrating, encouraging and inspiring the next generation of design engineers. Open to current students and recent design and engineering graduates, the award “is a chance for budding inventors to make a name for themselves,” Dyson said.

Other national winners included:

• Germany – Trashboom. A scalable floating barrier that prevents plastic waste in rivers from entering the oceans
• Taiwan – Moses. A bicycle helmet for deaf people, which helps them ‘feel the sound’ of surrounding traffic noise to make cycling safer and more comfortable
• Poland – SmartHeal. A ‘precise, affordable and scalable’ smart pH sensor integrated with a wound dressing
• Mexico – ATL-59. A water-saving system that can help a family of four save up to 20,000 litres annually
• Canada – Taco. An assistive tool that makes cooking preparation more accessible for people with disabilities, including Parkinson’s disease.

The competition has so far supported over 300 inventions with prize money over the years. It is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Dyson’s engineering-education charity.

For more information about each of the winners, visit the Dyson website.

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