A group of pupils from Dunoon Grammar School are celebrating the news that they have won an Apps for Good Employability Skills Award for innovation – beating off stiff competition from across the UK.
The 2019 Apps for Good Employability Skills prizes is sponsored by Capgemini and celebrates young technology creators aged 10 to 18 who have come up with a great idea for a product that makes the world a better place.
The pupils worked together as part of the Apps for Good Internet of Things (IoT) course, creating proposals outlining their product ideas. They then submitted their ideas to a panel of Capgemini judges, who reviewed the entries and selected DefrostDevice as the most innovative of all entries.
DefrostDevice was produced by S2 pupils Adam Smith, Lachlan Ewan and Adam Lawton, and allows users to defrost their car without leaving their house.
The device has three core features. First, it sends a message to your phone when your car gets below zero degrees Celsius. Next, you can tell it to heat up your car. Lastly, the device turns off the heater when it gets to 25 degree Celsius to prevent fires and save the car battery.
The judges thought this device was a very innovative use of technology and an excellent example of physical computing in the classroom that can apply to real-world scenarios. The judges were particularly excited about the research completed by the team, and the potential real-world applications of the product.
S2 pupil Adam Smith, who coded a prototype of DefrostDevice using the BBC micro:bit said: “I am interested in coding as a possible career, so it is exciting to see our work being recognised by this award. I am glad our hard work payed off.”
Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved. What a great creation - I for one would definitely use it. We want our young people to achieve success in life and it is clear that pupils at Dunoon are already on their way to doing this. Well done.”
Paul Gallanagh, Principal Teacher of Business and Computing at the school added: “Congratulations to team DefrostDevice on winning this Employability skills award for innovation – it is a well-deserved award.
“We have two other teams traveling to London later this month to compete at the UK Apps for Good awards in the Emerging Technologies and Social Pioneers categories. "Both of these teams – Breathe Away and Pet.Walks - are also up for the peoples’ choice award – which is a public vote. I would ask the people of Cowal to get behind our teams and vote for one of them via: www.appsforgood.org/awards/2019/peoples-choice-award”