Local winners with surprising designs

Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions, has announced the winners of the People.Planet.Product student design challenge launched early last year in collaboration with the company’s first global social enterprise partner, The Washing Machine Project, a humanitarian initiative dedicated to alleviating the burden of hand-washing in low-income and displaced communities through innovative product design and distribution.

The three winning designs, which were selected from six global finalists, were Kai Goodall, Team Scentury and Joseph Baker, who came first, second and third respectively. The challenge tasked student members of the DesignSpark engineering community to apply original thinking and practical skills to the ongoing development of The Washing Machine Project’s first water-saving, off-grid manual crank-handle washing machine, the Divya. Entries were invited in three different focus areas: People (empowering people to use the Divya by improving the technology or implementation of the design); Planet (filtering out greywater or microplastics) and Product (encouraging better posture through changes in weight – eg, portability).

South African winner Kai Goodall’s “Pedal ’n Spin” design is a foot-cranked washing machine that rotates easily using a combination of the principle of a treadle system and pedal system. It is a pedalpowered, connected, rod-driven rotating drum washing machine system which is purely mechanical in nature. It improves the user’s posture, ease of use and sustainability of the current Divya washing machine, allowing longer-term adoption, improved hygiene and increased rotation efficiency with a huge mechanical advantage.

Goodall, currently a Master’s student in electrical engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT), mentioned that it was moving to see his sustainable and userfriendly washing machine design selected as one of the winners of the global contest. and Ketki Dave (Planet), pitched their designs at a live virtual event to a panel of judges from leading industrial and humanitarian organisations which share the goal of helping to improve lives. Mike England, chief operating officer of Electrocomponents, opened the finals with a speech about the company’s commitment to “Making Amazing Things Happen for a Better World” through social impact partners and education programmes. Yewande Akinola MBE, Ambassador for Clean Growth and Infrastructure, UK, delivered a

PEOPLE.PLANET.PRODUCT – LOCAL WINNERS WITH SURPRISING DESIGNS

Innovative winning solutions will enhance the design and accessibility of the Divya manual crank washing machine developed by The Washing Machine Project, helping to improve lives

“My UCT supervisor and chairperson of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers SA, Dr David Oyedokun, inspired me to compete in the RS Components Student Design Challenge. Being the sole finalist from Africa in the competition and winning first prize was a special recognition of my invention and motivated me to take my passion to new frontiers and hopefully inspire more young people to use engineering as a tool for their progression,” he said.

All six finalists, including Team Oro (Product), Team Neolithic (Product)

keynote address at the event, emphasising the importance of sustainability and innovation for the world.

Panel judge Navjot Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project, commented: “With the Electrocomponents Grassroots team, The Washing Machine Project devised the People.Planet.Product student design challenge to inspire students with STEM backgrounds to get involved in our humanitarian initiative. These are the scientists, engineers and mathematicians of tomorrow and the amazing quality of designs we’ve seen through this challenge is really heartwarming and proof that the younger generation are fully engaged in playing their part in a sustainable future.”

Fellow judge Mike Bray, VP: innovation and DesignSpark at Electrocomponents, which hosted the challenge, said: “The Washing Machine Project is a great engineering initiative to help improve people’s lives and combining it with the inspirational ideas of student engineers through our DesignSpark community, we have the ability to work together to truly make a massive difference to people around the world.”

Providing active support for the People.Planet.Product challenge and completing the line-up of distinguished judges were Bjoern Klaas, CEO: EMEA region, Protolabs, Clare Larkspur, head of product management: Elvie, Simon Wells,VP: engineering, Shark Ninja and Eleonora Gatti, innovation portfolio manager (WASH + Climate Change), Unicef.

Each of the three winners received £1 000 in RS products or a cash equivalent to support their prototype development, plus access to a business mentor and a knowledge session with Sawhney.

Goodall recently joined forces with Forest Creations, a sustainable woodworking company, to create four more improved Pedal ’n Spin units for donation and field testing in Cape Town townships, with a view to more sustained manufacturing and distribution. “I welcome collaboration and financial support in my bid to roll out many more of these units, to provide a healthy and sustainable innovation to those in need,” he said.

“We have the ability to work together to truly make a massive difference to people around the world.”

For more information, collaboration or updates on Goodall's Pedal ’n Spin washing machine innovation, e-mail: kaigoodall@gmail.com, connect on LinkedIn: Kai Goodall or follow him on Instagram: @kaigoodall.