United Kingdom, 2006-Feb-09
Alan Wood, chief executive of Siemens plc, today unveiled a unique glimpse into the future as predicted by the next generation of scientists.
In the year 2020 we will wear video contact lenses with microscopic earphones to have video conversations instead of telephone calls. When we lose items around the house we will easily find them through RFID (radio frequency identity) tags and a PDA. Doormats will clean the dog as well as our shoes!
These are the three highly creative, winning ideas from young people who entered the ‘Imagine Beyond the Limits’ national online competition, revealed today, at an event at the Science Museum in London.
Siemens launched the competition in November last year to inspire young people aged 18 years and under to think about science, technology and innovation, and to create their own futuristic inventions.
The competition, which was linked to the science and technology, art and design and geography syllabuses within the National Curriculum, asked young people to describe and draw day-to-day objects and gadgets which might be contained in a home in the year 2020.
About 200 entries were received from youngsters in three age group categories. All the entries were made online via a specially created website which enabled the competition entrants to ‘draw’ on a doodle pad. The winning entries have been brought to life by a professional illustrator commissioned by Siemens, Ben Campbell.
“We were delighted by the innovative thinking behind the ideas that we received,” said Alan Wood, chief executive of Siemens plc. “The high standards made choosing the winners a difficult call for us, but in the end three ideas stood out and our decisions were unanimous. What was surprising was that many of the children came up with similar concepts having recognised opportunities within the every day home so it is very likely many of these ideas will come to fruition.”
The winning entries are:
Category: under 12 years
Winner:
Rebecca Findlay: a doormat which cleans the dog as well as shoes.
Highly Commended:
Daniel Bailey: a portable light bulb which drives around the house and brings light to people in the dark.
Rory Talbot: voice-activated stairs which fold out or away when told to.
Kieran Wilkinson: a drinks tray which floats six inches off the ground, delivering drinks smoothly without spilling a drop.
Category: 12 to 15 years
Winner:
Pascal Mehmet: Video contact lenses with a microscopic earphone allowing sight and sound phone conversations.
Highly Commended:
Dexter Green: Cupboard with shelves that move up and down eliminating the need to bend down to find items at the bottom of the cupboard.
Glenn McMaster: A microwave which plays media on the glass screen while food cooks.
Adam Watson Reid: A laser knife which cuts bread and toasts it at the same time.
Category: 16 to 18 years
Winner:
Saliha Mayat: Radio Frequency Identity tag on your personal possessions to find them via a personal digital assistant.
Highly Commended:
David Hughes: Hydraulic ramp that lowers a car into the ground to save space
Luke Martin: A bracelet that monitors the whereabouts of a child, monitoring heartbeat, temperature, with ‘alert’ function
Jordan Woods: Voice-activated phone with surround sound speakers in every room.
The three winners have each won a Fujitsu Siemens Computers laptop and will receive a copy of the illustration of their invention. All winners and highly commended finalists will receive a certificate to celebrate their achievement.
This competition is part of Siemens Generation21 initiative, a worldwide Siemens programme to promote the education and training of young people. This is just one of the ways in which Siemens is honouring its commitment to society and fostering the innovators, leaders and creative talents of tomorrow.
The competition is linked to Siemens sponsorship of the ’Building to the Limits’ exhibition at the Science Museum, which examines the challenges faced by architects and engineers in creating the buildings of tomorrow. It considers how science can help make buildings more energy efficient, safer in the light of the threat from terrorist attacks, and how we can meet the need for affordable housing and create the 4.4 million new homes needed in the UK by 2016. ’Building to the Limits’ is a free exhibition on show in the Antenna Gallery until 19th March 2006.
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 162 years ago. The company employs 21,122 people in the UK, including about 5,000 in the manufacturing sector. Last year’s revenues were £3 billion, including exports of £500 million.
Siemens provides innovative, high-quality services and solutions to customers in a diverse range of industry sectors, including power, automation and control, information and communication, medical, transportation, lighting, and household.
Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Bracknell, Berkshire. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany.
Ms. Anne Keogh
Media Relations Manager
Further information
Siemens plc
Tel: 01344 396312
Mr. Andrew Scales
Kinross + Render (on behalf of Siemens plc)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7592 3100
Mobile +44 (0)7776 185533
