Raspberry Pi challenge inspires engineers of the future

Over 50 school children and undergraduates took part in the competition, now in its second year. Their mission was to use the Raspberry Pi to create something that would help the environment. Winning entries included a device that identifies household waste and selects the right bin to automatically open and close, and a system that allows drivers to locate empty car parking spaces in cities and towns to lower emissions. Thirteen groups of finalists presented their inventions to a judging panel including Andy Hopper, Cambridge University's professor of computer technology, BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones and Raspberry Pi's director of educational development, Clive Beale. The winners were selected from four age group categories – primary school children, GCSE students, sixth-formers and university students. The winning entry in the primary school category (and my personal favourite) was a robot that teaches children how to recycle. The enthusiastic team from St Mary's CE Primary School in Horsham impressed the judges with their ability to clearly explain how the invention works and how it could be rolled out nationwide. From Community College's winning entry in the secondary school category was a web-based system called Plant Pi, which allows plants to be watered automatically if moisture levels fall below a certain level. The device relies on sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, light intensity, rain and soil moisture, and then relays the information to the user through the web. A device called Wetter Forest saw a team from Newcastle College claim victory in the 16-18 year old category. The invention detects the potential for forest fires under hot and dry summer conditions. The judges were particularly impressed by the student's level of teamwork. The fourth and final prize was awarded to undergraduates from Exeter University, for a device called PiPark. The system helps frustrated drivers find empty parking spaces to reduce emissions (and probably stress levels too). A camera attachment relays parking-space availability data to a central server, which then stores and presents the information on a webpage. All of the participants showed great enthusiasm not only for their creations, but also for coding. When the Raspberry Pi was first launched back in February 2012, the mission was to "inspire the next generation of programmers". The pupils yesterday were proof that this is working.