Inflatable incubator wins James Dyson Award

Created by design engineer James Roberts, pictured, MOM can be collapsed for transportation and runs off a battery which lasts 24 hours, in case of power outages. The whole thing costs just £250 to make and is designed to provide the same performance as a £30,000 modern incubation system. MOM is blown up manually and is heated using ceramic heating elements. A screen shows the current temperature and the humidity, which can be custom set depending on the gestation age. If the desired temperature changes, an alarm will sound. And for babies that suffer from Jaundice, there is also a phototherapy unit. Sir James Dyson said: "James' invention shows the impact design engineering can have on people's lives. The western world takes incubators for granted – we don't think about how their inefficient design makes them unusable in developing countries and disaster zones." Roberts, 23, is a recent graduate from Loughborough University. He will now receive £30,000 for further prototyping and testing, with a view to seeing MOM mass produced. Loughborough University will also receive £10,000. "I was inspired to tackle this problem after watching a documentary on for the high death rate among premature babies in refugee camps," Roberts commented. "It motivated me to use my design engineering skills to make a difference. Like many young inventors, there have been struggles along the way – I had to sell my car to fund my first prototype. The dream would be to meet a child that my incubator has saved – living proof that my design has made a difference."