On Wednesday 20th March, a group of students took part in a workshop with Dyson.

Delivered by current SEMS student on Year in Industry Placement with Dyson, Thamina Islam, the workshop encouraged them to use their engineering skills and imaginative problem-solving to invent new products to improve people's everyday.

The students were inspired by the story of founder James Dyson’s route to success, and then given spare Dyson parts to create prototypes with. Inventions from the day included goggles to help people with a visual impairment to cook and a bike for safer nighttime cycling.

The workshop introduced students to the James Dyson Award opportunity and encouraged them to enter. The Award provides the opportunity for engineering and design students to win up to £30,000 to support the development of their invention, as well as media exposure. It is part of the James Dyson Foundation’s mission to get young people excited about design engineering.

Judged by a panel featuring James Dyson himself, the winning design should employ clever yet simple engineering principles and address clear problems, as well as be technically and commercially viable. They also look for sustainability to be considered in design, sourcing and manufacturing.

Find out more and enter before 17th July on the James Dyson Award website.