Triumph Design Awards 2019

On Saturday 29 June, two Habs boys reached the National Final of the Triumph Design Awards, held at Triumph’s headquarters in Hinkley, Leicestershire. The boys, Harkaran and Rishi, were two shortlisted finalists who were invited to exhibit their work at the grand event. 

The Design Awards competition, which is open to 16 to 18-year-old students, asks entrants to design a product which encourages and celebrates creative thinking, innovative problem-solving and the ability to produce feasible solutions to real world challenges. All entrants had the opportunity to present their projects to Senior Engineers from the Design Department at Triumph.

The judges were looking for evidence in six key areas: Engineering, Innovation, Corporate Responsibility, Communication, Visual Design and Commercial Awareness. 

Harkaran submitted his AS Level Design Engineering project concerned with how we can reduce accidents involving turning lorries which may hit cyclists that are in the driver’s blind spot. Harkaran’s innovative solution saw a simple transmitter installed on a bike whose signal which could then be picked up by a receiver on a lorry when the cyclist is alongside the vehicle. The transmitter receiver would then alert the driver to the potential danger. The solution was elegant in its thinking and has the potential to become standard equipment for lorries and buses, saving numerous lives. 

Rishi entered his GCSE Design and Technology project which had cycling as its focus. Rishi looked at the struggles of more mature cyclists who suffer with arthritis, specifically the problem with pulling a standard brake lever. This issue meant that those cyclists would often stop cycling, despite the significant health benefits. Rishi’s solution was to design a new lever that was significantly easier to pull but a servo then performed the actual work of tightening the brake cable. 

Head of Design and Technology, Simon Vincent, said: “I believe the work produced by the boys in Design and Technology was absolutely outstanding and I am really pleased that both Harkaran and Rishi were selected to compete in this award. Their interest in problems that have a substantial impact of people’s safety and lifestyle is highly commendable. I am sure that they both have very bright futures as Engineers ahead of them.”