Engineering news
James Roberts and James Dyson with inflatable incubator
The 23-year-old inventor of an inflatable incubator to prevent premature baby deaths in the developing world has been awarded £15,000 prize money by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) to commercialise his business idea.
Winner James Roberts, a product design and technology graduate from Loughborough University, was one of four finalists of RAEng's Launchpad Competition; a nationwide hunt for the UK’s most talented young entrepreneurs. At an event in London this week all four finalists pitched their ideas in front of a panel of judges and an audience including Demis Hassabis, founder of artificial intelligence firm DeepMind that was acquired by Google. The winner was chosen by a combined panel of judges and audience vote.
Roberts’ winning business, MOM Incubator, has developed an inflatable incubator which can be quickly flat-packed down for easy storage and powered for hours from a car battery. The tiny incubator could be sold for 1/30th of the price of traditional incubators, opening it up to a mass market across the developing world.
As well as the £15,000 prize, Roberts now joins the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub, which provides mentoring, training and access to a network of business leadors and inventors across the country to help UK engineering entrepreneurs to develop their skills and take their ideas to market.
David Gammon, CEO of Rockspring and the primary benefactor of the JC Gammon Award, said: “James’ innovation stood out to us because he is dealing with a real world issue that is as applicable to our own country as it is to developing nations. James is a really focused, realistic and passionate individual and has the potential to make a real step change in healthcare globally.”
Roberts, who has also won the James Dyson Award for his technology, fought off competition from three other finalists including George Edwards, inventor of the wireless gas monitor and Sorin Popa, inventor of Stent-Tek, a new device to revolutionise kidney dialysis and heart surgery, and Amanda Campbell who has developed the World’s first fully compostable tent. The three runners-up have also been invited to join the Academy’s Enterprise Hub.