PA, the global innovation and transformation consultancy, runs the annual competition to challenge primary, secondary and college students across the UK to invent, design and create using the Raspberry Pi microcomputer.
Entrants to the 2019 competition have been tasked to think innovatively, inspire change and use their ingenuity to transform experiences of travel and transport.
Some of the ideas that have made it through to the 2019 final include:
- a voice activated bus stop audio message system to help the visually impaired to travel
- a train safety and management system that captures real-time data and allows a train to react automatically in certain situations
- a product to keep children safe in their car seats by issuing an alerts when they become unclipped
- a facial recognition system to make bus travel easier, help the environment and prevent fraud.
The winning team in each category will receive £1,000 prize money.
Anita Chandraker, who leads the global innovation services at PA Consulting and is the sponsor for the competition, says: “The level of entries this year has been unbelievable. The school children and college students have already put a huge amount of effort into their inventions, with some really unique ideas that I can’t wait to see brought to life on the actual awards day.
“Our Raspberry Pi competition is a core part of our ongoing work to use innovative thinking to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world. The competition supports young people and gives them a platform for hands-on innovation and to develop their coding skills in a fun way, stretching their imagination to help solve real-world problems. We hope that the competition and the business people the students will meet at the awards day will inspire them to see the power technology can have in transforming the world and the role they might play in that journey.”
This year’s expert judging panel includes:
- Jonathan Midgley, director of engineering, Trainline
- Phil Maher, executive vice president, operations, Virgin Atlantic
- Ben Story, strategic marketing director, Rolls-Royce
- Sarah Wilkinson, CEO, NHS Digital
- Philip Colligan, CEO, Raspberry Pi Foundation
- Prof Andy Doherty, CTO, Network Rail
- Jenny McGeough, operations director, Weir Group
- Phil Graham, CEO, UK National Infrastructure Commission
- Dominic Lenton, managing editor, E&T Magazine
- Rory Cellan-Jones, technology correspondent, BBC
- Nicola Debnam, regional director, South East, Highways England
- Richard Orme, CTO, Photobox
- Anita Chandraker, global head of innovation, PA Consulting
This year the competition has been supported by Rolls-Royce, Highways England and TFL, who have STEM initiatives as part of their outreach programmes.
Raspberry Pi competition finalists
- St Mary’s School, Horsham
- Croydon High School
- Egglescliffe C of E Primary School, County Durham
- Hack Horsham, Sussex
- Lady Eleanor Holles School, London
- Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham college, London
- Westminster School, London
- Ferndown Upper School, Dorset
- The Liverpool Blue Coat School, Lancashire
- Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, Carmarthenshire
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Essex
- Stanmore College, Middlesex