Hull team leader Alexandra Hendon, a final year Mechanical and Medical Engineering student, said:
It’s a great honour to be chosen to represent the UK. None of us knew each other at the start of the competition but we have bonded really well.
It’s been challenging at times but incredibly rewarding. Not many undergraduates get the chance to pitch to Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering or attend an international summit. We have also had the opportunity to work with some of the brightest young engineers in the country.
Alexandra added:
Even if we don’t win in Washington, we will continue to develop our idea. We are looking to work with companies and hopefully go through clinical trials to bring the product to market.
The other members of the team are: Hamsa Gamote and Imogen Falconer, both first year Biomedical Engineering students; Georgia Melbourne, a foundation year Mechanical and Medical Engineering student and Ben Flexen, a first year Physics with Astrophysics student.
Team mentor Dr Louise France, a lecturer in Medical and Mechanical Engineering, said:
It’s a huge achievement to win a competition supported and funded by the RAE.
The students have started a project from scratch and shown they have the skills to design and develop an idea with huge potential. They have done all their own market research and put a business model together. We are really proud of them all.