Bright Spark Award winners named

Nathan James' was the overall male winner for his iDispense Master Bulk Bin Vs 2 design in the annual Bright Spark Awards in Auckland last night. Photo / YouTube

What began as a hobby with dad has developed into an award-winning talent for a Christchurch student.

Nathan James' was the overall male winner for his iDispense Master Bulk Bin Vs 2 design in the annual Bright Spark Awards in Auckland last night.

The bin gives shoppers the power to choose how much product they want and at what cost, rather than using current methods available in supermarkets.

The awards were a celebration of inventiveness, Stephen Waters, general manager of strategic engagement at the Skills Organisation said.

"The awards give bright young Kiwis a platform to show their ingenuity and emerge as future leaders in the New Zealand electrotechnology industry."

It's Nathan's fifth year as a finalist, his second and now successful attempt with his iDispense which he also submitted last year.

Nathan came up with his design after going to the supermarket to buy trail mix for a tramp he was going on.

He wasn't sure how much he'd need and then didn't know how much it was going to cost him.

So he carried out some research and found that other people were also frustrated that they didn't know how much product they were getting when they used the bulk bin.

With his latest iDispense prototype, an app can be downloaded onto a shopper's phone or the supermarket could have an iPad in-store for the customer to weigh and price out how much their product has cost.

It interacts directly with the iDispense to accurately dispense the product.
Nathan said he first got into the world of inventing when his father, Ross, asked him to give it a go in the family shed.

"It was really a lot more of a hobby and when I got into high school I was like 'oh this stuff is easy compared to what I've been doing at home'."

There was a wide set of elements involved, including social science, graphics, design, programming and maths.

"This is my third prototype. My first was completely different, the second was a bit better and this one is pretty much on track. I've got it down to about 1 gram accuracy which is pretty perfect."

Best overall female design was taken out by Briar Patel, of Aquinas College, Tauranga, with her Water Play Activity design - an interactive game for young people with mental and physical disabilities to learn about pedestrian crossing safety.

INNOVATIVE YOUTH

Best Overall (Female) sponsored by Dr Michelle Dickinson

• Briar Patel with Water Play Activity - Aquinas College

Tauranga Best Overall (Male) sponsored by Manukau Institute of Technology

• Nathan James with iDispense vs 2 - Burnside High School

Christchurch Best Concept sponsored by Baldwins Intellectual Property

• Junior (0 - 14 years): Aurelia Wilberforce with Wakey Wakey - Lincoln High School, • Christchurch Senior (15 years +): Simon FitzGerald with Board Mania - Home School, Auckland

People's Choice sponsored by Vodafone

William Bradley with TV Planner - Saint Kentigern College, Auckland