The James Dyson Award, the international student design and engineering competition run by the James Dyson Foundation, today opens for entries, calling for novel inventions that tackle a pressing real-world problem.
Young inventors’ ideas have the potential for global impact
Open to all engineering and design students and recent graduates, the Award seeks ambitious designs that address a global issue, from cancer diagnosis to natural disasters. With global recognition offered to an International Winner and a Sustainability Winner, past winners include an off-road ambulance trailer to rescue the wounded from conflict zones, a wearable biomedical device for pain-free, low-cost intraocular pressure (IOP) testing for glaucoma, and a device to control bleeding from stab wounds.
Established in 2005, the competition has now supported over 400 young inventors with more than S$1.7 million in prize money, and more than two thirds of past global winners have pursued the commercialisation of their ideas. The International Winner and global Sustainability Winner will scoop S$50,500 to support their next steps, while S$8,400 is offered to each National Winner in the 30 markets where the Award is run.
Sir James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer, said: “The world needs more doers – problem-solvers, not grandstanders, who are ready to take on the problems of our time. Every year the James Dyson Award gives young people a platform for their medical and environmental inventions, and much more besides. It’s their ‘wrong thinking’ that leads to breakthroughs, whether it’s the development of a new sustainable material, or the application of clever engineering principles to help improve people’s lives. I look forward to seeing what new inventions this year’s Award brings!”
Past winners go on to achieve substantial success
Previous recipients of the Award have gone on to great success thanks to the global media exposure and injection of funds that the prize offers. Past winner Siew E Ian clinched the Singapore national prize and entered the global Top 20 in 2023, with his invention Auxobrace. After going through two open-heart surgeries, he invented the first-of-its-kind rehabilitation tool to accelerate the healing process for patients who have undergone a similar experience. The vest-like device is an innovative solution that provides the ideal pressure and comfort on the human body, using the principles of soft robotics and vacuum mechanisms to create bending and shrinkage forces.
Today, Ian is continuing his work on the Auxobrace, after attaining extensive publicity from the James Dyson Award. He has also gone on to deepen his knowledge by pursuing a PhD in Industrial Design.
Ian said, “I am extremely grateful for the recognition and platform provided by the James Dyson Award, which enabled me to share my invention with the world. As a design engineer, I developed Auxobrace by integrating diverse design and engineering approaches, aiming to explore how their synergy could enhance rehabilitation for complex body parts. My hope is to inspire and motivate others to challenge conventional boundaries and collaborate across various disciplines, thereby expanding the scope of innovation to improve more lives!”
Additionally, 2022 National Runner-up Koh Bei Ning has since successfully commercialised her invention Rollo (previously submitted as Rollerball Itch Relief), a pocket-sized itch reliever designed to help those with chronic itch.
She raised over S$102,000 on Kickstarter from almost 1,000 backers and the product will be available for sale on Rollo’s website from mid-April 2024 onwards.
Other past winners around the world have included:
- HOPES (Singapore) – a wearable device for pain-free, low-cost glaucoma testing that patients can do at home.
- The Golden Capsule (South Korea) – a hands-free intravenous (IV) device designed for disaster zones, which can be strapped to the patient and does not rely on gravity.
- Rehabit (Singapore) – a series of intuitive rehabilitation equipment for stroke recovery, helping stroke patients to relearn, regain and recover their mobility.
- BlueBox (Spain) – an at-home cancer screening solution designed to encourage more women to test for breast cancer.
National winners and runners-up will be whittled down to a global Top 20 by a panel of expert Dyson engineers across different disciplines, and finally Sir James Dyson himself will pick the best.
The National Winners will be announced on September 11th, the global Top 20 shortlist on October 16th and Global Winners on November 13th.
The deadline to apply is midnight on July 17th 2024.
