The annual competition stands as a fantastic tribute to the next generation of technologists, together with their schools and teachers, a point the MTA’s expert judges were keen to stress.
Stewart Lane, of Renishaw PLC, Chair of the MTA Education and Development Committee and Chair of the TDI judging panel, said: “I am always impressed by the quality of TDI entries, and this year has been no exception. The standard of entries was high with excellent supporting materials, they were a credit to everyone that entered.”
The 2021 TDI Challenge was open to all young people aged 16-19 and tasked them with the opportunity to showcase their creative talent to an industry that relies upon vision and innovation.
They had to come up with their own design for a new product or concept, explain its application and produce a video, no longer than two minutes, to demonstrate how and why their invention would benefit users.
They were free to enter their Design and Technology coursework from their school or college, or submit a completely different idea if they preferred.
The judges were delighted to announce their winners as:
1st Place – Ella Freeman – Henrietta Barnett School in London – Modular Mobility Aid: A recyclable modular mobility aid for those needing support or rehabilitation. It’s designed to benefit users because it's three products in one; it easily transforms from a walking frame into crutches or into a walking stick depending on what the user’s needs are and how they may change over time.
2nd Place – Nirmay Jadhav – Queen Elizabeth’s School in London – The Hex-Exsiccator: The Hex-Exsiccator is a filament dehydrator for 3D printing material. After letting the spools heat up, the silica gel absorbs the moisture, and the filament quality improves leading to cleaner and more consistent prints.
3rd Place – Caitlyn Crisp - Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern in Cardiff – The Baitlyn Brush: A 2-in-1 toilet brush/bleach dispenser. With a design inspired by nature, the Baitlyn Brush is a recyclable, machine washable toilet brush which can dispense bleach at the point of contact in the toilet making it more effective and efficient at cleaning difficult to reach places.
The winner received a £200 Amazon Voucher for winning the competition, with £100 and £50 vouchers going to the runner-up and third place, respectively.
The top three also win a day out with the University of Wolverhampton Race Team, experiencing an F3 race day.
Their schools will also receive a voucher to allow them to purchase kit for their classroom from their preferred D&T equipment supplier.
