Year 8 pupils Ryan Stubbs and William Bradshaw’s project caught the eye of Competition judges thanks to their invention, ElectroPi, which is designed to plant and water seeds based on soil moisture levels. The invention was created to speed up planting time and improve the quality of planting conditions and is controlled from a device, such as an iPad.
Ryan and William commented in the project entry: “We have always had a passion for engineering, and we wanted to find a way to help the environment that would get everybody excited. Our robotic seed planter may impact the wider community by inspiring people to be creative in helping the environment as well as making eco-friendly equipment enjoyable and accessible for all ages.”
Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive for EngineeringUK, said: “Ryan and William really impressed the judges with their project that took a creative approach, drawing on their science, engineering and tech skills, to come up with a solution to real problems. It is a huge achievement to progress to this stage of The Competition and they should be incredibly proud to take up their place and compete this year.
“We received hundreds of incredible entries and the quality of the work undertaken impresses us each year. Young people have shown incredible resilience and determination during the past couple of years and the ambition, passion and enthusiasm the students show for their projects is truly inspiring.
The winners in the science and engineering categories will receive a £750 prize, with 3 runners up receiving £250 for their chosen project. The award ceremony will also crown overall winners as UK Young Scientist of the Year and UK Young Engineer of the Year, who and will receive a £2,000 prize.
The ElectroPi team are 1 of 5 finalists shortlisted for the prestigious title of UK Young Engineer of the Year and will discover at an Award Ceremony taking place on 22 June at the Big Bang Fair whether their invention has won them the accolade.
The Big Bang Fair is aimed at 11 to 14 year olds and the 3 day event (Wednesday 22June to Friday 24June) is the largest celebration of STEM in the UK. The free to attend event will feature scores of quality hands-on activities to inspire young people to discover and explore what a career in STEM can offer. Families, home educators and school groups have the chance to visit at The Big Bang Fair Unlocked, taking place on Thursday 23 June from 4pm to 8pm.
For more information about The Big Bang Competition and The Big Bang Fair visit here: www.thebigbang.org.uk
