Inspiring stuff from our past winners
Have you got what it takes to be a Cracking Ideas winner? Take a look at the brilliant brainwaves that came up trumps last year, and see if you can do better...
This year's competition is a different format to last year as the age range for entry has increased and it's not just open to schools, but individuals and groups as well. The regions are now just broken down into England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
National Winner 2008
North West - Charlie the Chair Stacker
Great Arley School, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire
Site supervisor Mr Figgins will be delighted with the pupils at Great Arley: they've created a chair stacker to put away the chairs after assembly the job he found most tiresome. Remote controlled and with four wheels on a rotating axle, Charlie moves around the hall easily then uses pincers and magnets on his arms to place chairs in position or stack them away. Charlie is solar powered and built from reclaimed materials including an old traffic cone.
Regional Winners 2008
North East
The Robo-Kett and Muganator
Marden Bridge Middle School, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
You may think that the Robo-kett is just like a normal kettle but it isn't! It has got robotic arms and there are sensors so it knows where everything is. There are wheels on the base so it is able to move around by itself. The Robo-kett arms are expandable so it can reach things on the other side of the room. There is a trademark symbol above the sensors, this is actually a button which you press to open the compartment at the back – this is where it stores things like teabags and coffee beans etc. Down the side is a transparent window so you can see how much water is left. But here is the clever part... You don't need to fill it up - it does it itself!
And what does it do with all of the empty teabags? It recycles them - and turns them into fuel which is used to power the Robo-kett and Muganator.
The Muganator is just like a normal mug but it has special abilities. It comes with a hat which can fit any size and style of mug. The hat not only keeps your drink warm, it also has eyes and a speaker on it. If someone was trying to take your mug it would say phrases like... "THAT'S NOT YOUR DRINK!" or "HEY GET YOUR OWN DRINK!" The mugs come in many different colours and styles ranging from pink with blue stars to gold and silver. At the back is a compartment which stores biscuits and marshmallows for your hot chocolate. When your drink is ready it will let you know - it will shout... "YOUR DRINK IS READY NOW".
North West
Charlie the Chair Stacker
Great Arley School, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire
Site supervisor Mr Figgins will be delighted with the pupils at Great Arley: they've created a chair stacker to put away the chairs after assembly the job he found most tiresome. Remote controlled and with four wheels on a rotating axle, Charlie moves around the hall easily then uses pincers and magnets on his arms to place chairs in position or stack them away. Charlie is solar powered and built from reclaimed materials including an old traffic cone.
Wales
The BFT Baby Food Tester
Llangyfelach Primary School, Swansea
This crafty device will help you to make sure that your baby gets the right food at the right temperature. There are buttons at the bottom. You enter the age of your baby (in months). You then put the food into BFT's mouth. A screen at the back will tell you if it is too hot or too cold. If a tick comes on the screen, then it the food temperature is just right. The BFT is a quick and easy way to help you and your baby.
Scotland
Football Champion
Lincluden Primary School, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway
The Football Champion is designed to encourage boys to help with vacuuming. It rolls from foot to foot around the house sucking up dirt and can climb stairs by itself. It is controlled with voice recognition technology and has a silent engine so it does not stop you listening to TV. The Football champion has a clear dust bucket so you can see when it needs emptied.
Midlands and East
The Wonderful Wacky Mansion
West Park Primary School, Wolverhampton
The winners created a company called The Wonderful Wacky Mansion and designed a multi coloured teapot for the one and only...Mad Hatter, from Alice in Wonderland. This teapot is no ordinary teapot because you can get any flavour of tea imaginable. For example: coco chocolate crunchy tea; tomato and candy tea; flower and feather cocktail and merry berry (raspberry and strawberry).
Special Features:
Shows the temperature.
Different flavours.
Has an on and off button.
It is shaped like a mouse.
The tea pours out of the mouse's tongue.
This is 100% unique and all tea drinkers will be mad as a hatter not to have one!
South West
Tyer-Upper
Sunninhill Preparatory School, Dorchester, Dorset
We worked through Lesson Plan 1, designing logos, but we also followed the Innovation Sessions.
The Tyer-Upper ties and unties shoe laces. The cushioned heel support holds the invention in place. The hands and fingers tie the lace when alerted by the invisible string that is attached to the lace.
South East
Referee!?
Northbourne Park School, Deal, Kent
We worked through Lesson Plan 1, designing logos, but we also followed the Innovation Sessions.
A light weight electronic arm is attached to a pack on the back of the ref. He wears a wrist camera which communicates with the computer in this pack. The screen on the end of the arm comes over in front of his face to allow him to watch replays.
