Aaron Lord, a year 12 student from Greenhead College in Huddersfield, is the new UK Young Engineer of the Year. He claimed the prestigious award for his innovative project, ‘Autopill’.

Inspired to support those taking regular medication, particularly people with dementia and memory difficulties, Aaron created an automatic pill dispenser. Using mechanics, electronics and computer-aided design (CAD), the ‘Autopill’ allows users to insert their pills for the week and includes a pulsing light and bleeping noise to signal that pills are ready to take. The impressive device also includes a health monitoring component which can track users heart rate and blood oxygen levels when placing their finger on a sensor.

Aaron commented: “I’m thrilled to accept this award – it’s incredible! The competition has been a brilliant experience from start to finish. It allowed me to take something that I thought was a good idea and turn it into something tangible.”

The judges were incredibly impressed by the creativity and dedication that went into this project. The concept of a tablet dispenser that not only automates the process of taking medication but also includes basic health monitoring is both innovative and highly practical. The design is user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and functional, which are all essential qualities for a product aimed at assisting individuals with dementia and memory problems.

Two further students from Yorkshire and the Humber came runners-up in The Competition:

Oliver Wainman, year 8 – Runner-up Junior Engineering 2025
A student from New College Pontefract - Runner-up Senior Technology 2025

All the winners and runners-up impressed the judges, who commended them on their projects.

The winners of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition, which recognises and rewards talented young innovators, were announced at The Big Bang Fair, the UK’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people held at Birmingham’s NEC over 17 June to 19 June. Run by EngineeringUK, The Fair is supported by organisations across the education and STEM sector including Rolls-Royce, BBC, EasyJet, Pixelia, Playground Games, National Highways and V&A museum.

Dr Hilary Leevers, EngineeringUK Chief Executive said: “Huge congratulations to all our winners, who have shown impressive creativity, knowledge and drive as they have worked on their projects. I hope they, and all the runners-up, are proud of their achievement. There are so many opportunities for them to continue with STEM in education and training and then in the workplace. I’m sure they have a bright future ahead.”