A ten-year old boy from Conwy in North Wales has won a national award after using the experience of losing a friend killed in an accident while out cycling to invent a safety device that warns motorists of cyclists ahead of them on the road.
The device, called the Bike Bleeper, was dreamt up by Tybalt Melia from Capel Curig, who submitted his invention to CBBC’s My Genius Idea competition, as reported on the BBC North West Wales website.
The Bike Bleeper clips onto the handlebars and sends a signal to cars behind via their radios, warning them that there is a cyclist ahead on the road.
The BBC said that the youngster has already met with management of a satellite navigation company with a view to producing a commercial version of the safety device, and a bicycle firm is also said to have expressed interest in it.
Tybalt’s mother, Alice Douglas, said: "The meeting was on the 20th floor of one of the highest buildings in London. He was half sitting there, talking seriously about his product, and then running to the window and saying, 'Wow, this is really cool!'
"The guys were really sweet with him, but it was very funny to see him in this big boardroom."
Judges said that they had been especially impressed by the way in which the youngster had worked hard to refine his invention during the series, such as responding to tests that discovered the device worked best in rural areas, rather than cities including Cambridge where there is a high number of cyclists.
He also agreed that the Bike Bleeper should be fitted with an automatic cut-off to prevent it continuing to send out signals when the bike was not in use.
"I never thought I'd get this far,” said Tybalt, “and I thought Emily [the other finalist, whose invention sought to warn sea mammals from swimming into dangerous waters] did really well.
"It's been a great experience and I've really enjoyed it."
With the series filmed in advance, Tybalt needed to keep the outcome secret, which was made harder by the fact that his sister, Hero, also reached the final of another TV talent series, Must Be The Music.
"When Hero was being congratulated, he'd already won his show, but couldn't say anything," said Tybalt’s mother.
"They are different,” she reflected. Hero will work very hard, but Tybalt will do things when he wants to.
"I tried to sit him down and make him think of the 10 minute presentation he had to make for the final, but he just said, 'No - I've got it in here. I know why I made it and you can't put words in my mouth.'
"And he was right," she added.
Please enlighten us to exactly which brand and model of car shampoo that you're using that's more powerful than a degreaser.
Actually, while I agree in principle, the claptrap below has been a useful reveal as to how he really is just trolling rather than taking a...
Another reason for opting for a warning letter is that it is a lot less work for the police so maybe they will be more likely to offer that option...
And insulation is the installation of a layer or layers in order to prevent cold air reaching the body, and clearly a material designed to deflect...
Interesting article highlighting the significant financial problems the recreational/sporting side of the cycling industry faces over the coming...
Confronting a criminal may be illegal where you come from, but it's legal here in the UK. We can even perform an arrest....
Software engineering is, to me, a closed book locked in a safe at the bottom of a coalmine, but surely it would be a pretty simple matter to slip...
I wonder if the bag is loose and lets dirt in like their seatposts.
Funny how recycling centres prioritise car users. Car users are the ones killing the planet and think they can atone by recycling their junk. They...
The huge amount of aluminium used in the glazing frames would obviate the supposed green benefits.