Dyson’s Annual Search For Top Kiwi Inventor Begins

For immediate release
Monday 9 March, 2009

Dyson’s Annual Search For Top Kiwi Inventor Begins

Emerging inventors, engineers and product designers with inspiring new design ideas, are being called to enter the ninth annual James Dyson Award.

Judges are seeking innovative design concepts which provide solutions for everyday problems. Previous award submissions include a harness for pig hunting, a bamboo crutch for amputees in third world countries, a practical skateboarding shoe with a replaceable outer shell and washable inner, and a man overboard life saving device.

Last year’s winning product, a sports massage table, was designed by Massey University graduate Alexander Wastney.

The massage table was designed for traveling sports teams, and can be compacted into a durable suitcase on wheels.

A professional basketballer and industrial designer, Alexander’s inspiration for his design came as a result of feedback from his physiotherapist who had complained about existing designs being heavy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable to carry and lie on. The designer’s solution features strategically placed gel pads within the tabletop, which cushion and support key areas of an athlete’s body, similar to the cushioning function of sports shoe soles.

New Zealand’s 2009 James Dyson Award recipient will travel to the UK with $3,000 prize money and accommodation in London, and have the opportunity to meet key members of the UK design community, including a tour of Dyson’s world class design facility. Plus, they will receive $3,000 legal or business advice from Auckland firm, Farry.Co, can select an official fee prize package from IPONZ tailored to their design’s intellectual property needs, and a year’s membership to DINZ.

The Award is open to final year tertiary students studying in New Zealand, in the areas of design, technology or engineering, and to graduates in these areas who are in their first five years of work force.

For the first time in the Award’s history, all New Zealand entries will be in the running for the national People’s Choice Award, and the international James Dyson Award, with GBP£10,000 to the global winner, and another GBP£10,000 to the winner’s university to fund future design education projects.

The New Zealand James Dyson Award is held in association with the British Council New Zealand, the Intellectual Property Office (IPONZ), and the Designers Institute of New Zealand to recognise and reward up and coming Kiwi designers with product design ideas that best demonstrate innovative and inspiring solutions to everyday problems.

Interested applicants can enter at www.jamesdysonaward.org

Entries close on Monday, 15 June, and the winner will be announced at an award ceremony in Auckland in July.

Notes to editor:
• Dyson was founded by James Dyson who made over 5000 prototypes and dedicated 15 years to revolutionise the vacuum cleaner.
• Dyson invests heavily into R&D, a third of Dyson’s employees are design engineers developing new technologies to make everyday products work better. Dyson has 577 patents and patents pending in respect of over 438 different inventions, which protect Dyson technology from being copied by imitators.
• Dyson is New Zealand’s leading vacuum cleaner brand.
• Dyson is the only floorcare company to partner the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand. The main objective of this alliance is to accomplish deep reaching, long term and better solutions for people with asthma.

ENDS

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