Felsted pupil Harrison Cox has won the Year 6 Young Engineers Trophy Prize for his SOTERIA lifting device project. Out of 37,000 entries nationally, there were only two prizes per year group, so this is a fantastic achievement for 10 year old Harrison!

Harrison was inspired by his Grandpa’s disabilities to create an easy-to-use, cost effective device to improve his independence. After seeing his Grandpa’s mobility deteriorate to the point that even standing was difficult, Harrison researched various lifting devices and discovered that they were rarely available for domestic use.

His design, SOTERIA, named after the Greek Goddess of Safety & Deliverance, uses built in gas canisters to inflate a structure around the person, supporting them into a comfortable seating position if they fall. This inspired and potentially build-able design won Harrison his National prize!