The winner of the James Dyson Award in 2009 was AUTOMIST by Yusuf Muhammad and Paul Thomas.
In recognition of their victory, they have won £10,000 to develop their design. £10,000 will also be awarded to their university department to support the development of future projects by other promising students.
Read about the winning entry, as well as the fifteen international finalists, here.
2009 Finalist
Ergostop wheelchair brake system. Ireland
Problem:
Problems were identified with current wheelchair braking mechanisms. Due to the variety of disabilities presented by different wheelchair users, the brakes in current wheelchairs often prove awkward to use.
Development:
Initial sketching identified how the brake would look and operate. Then a manufacturer of small hydraulic cylinders had to be found. More sketching, prototyping and CAD modelling developed the rest of the system around these. The system was then thoroughly tested on the designer's wheelchair.
Solution:
Ergostop uses hydraulic brakes, coupled with an ergonomic lever to enable wheelchair users to apply the brakes on their wheelchairs with greater ease.
2009 Finalist - The Contorsionist