Tree PC takes a bough in New York for plucky Irish designer
Laura Cauldwell, 22, from Knocklyon,won first prize of €2,000 (£1,400) in the Dyson Student Design Award for her creation entitled: Cultivate -the Sustainable Living Computer
IRISH inventor Laura Caulwell competed in an international design competition held in New York yesterday
Laura's invention, a "sustainable living computer'', was up against a tangle-proof sailing rope, underwear which can correct your posture, and a toilet which analyses your waste for the prestigious prize.
A total of 14 countries were challenging for the £6,000 award from the James Dyson International Design Awards.
Laura, of Knocklyon, Co Dublin, won the Irish heat of the award with her design, Cultivate -- the Sustainable Living Computer.
The branches on the tree-shaped computer hold the mouse, speakers, the RAM, the central processor, the battery and a light.
Laura said the components can be plucked from the tree and sent back to the supplier for upgrade, recycling or re-manufacture.
Entries were judged by an international panel made up of Mr Dyson and three other design experts from the US, Japan and Italy. Vacuum cleaner tycoon James Dyson said: "The need for good design and technology is essential for everyday life.
"The award encourages young designers to think differently and to create ideas which aren't necessarily slick or stylish, but that can solve everyday problems."
The James Dyson Award is supported by the James Dyson Foundation charity.
whose aim is to inspire and excite young people about design engineering.
The winner of the contest will win cash prizes amounting to €7,500 for their lecturer, teacher or university.
- Wesley Johnson
