A Pole triumphs again in the Dyson competition. His invention saves rivers.

The device collects samples at three different, configurable depths. Importantly, the sensors are automatically replaced daily – the system works similarly to rewinding a roll of film in a camera. One roll lasts for 12 months of continuous operation. The collected data is transmitted via the cellular network to an online platform. This is where artificial intelligence comes in, analyzing water conditions and learning from historical patterns. A key feature of the system is the ability to predict pollution events up to 72 hours in advance. The results are publicly available, allowing authorities and residents to respond early.

The Keyboard That "Understands Parkinson's"

WaterSense prototypes are already being tested in 20 locations across Poland in collaboration with local governments and water utilities. Filip Budny plans to further refine the technology and expand. His goal is to create a monitoring network spanning the entire continent by 2026. The inventor is currently raising funds in the first round of investment. Winning the competition and receiving recognition from Sir Dyson will certainly help achieve this. Budny will receive over 150,000 PLN for further development of the project.

The James Dyson Prize, now in its 20th year and run by the James Dyson Foundation, has supported over 400 student projects to date, awarding a total of £1.5 million in prizes. This year's competition attracted over 2,100 entries from 28 countries. Many of these are groundbreaking, such as a keyboard that "understands Parkinson's." This project is this year's global winner in the medical field. It was created by Italian Alessandra Galli, a graduate of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her invention, OnCue, is a smart keyboard designed for people with Parkinson's disease, which affects over 10 million people worldwide. Symptoms such as tremors, freezing episodes, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) make everyday tasks like typing difficult and frustrating. Existing assistive keyboards often lack integrated therapeutic recommendations that could help manage motor symptoms.

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OnCue uniquely integrates therapeutic recommendations with the device's design. The keyboard and its connected wrist straps deliver gentle vibrations with each keystroke, helping users maintain a consistent typing rhythm. If a key is held down for too long (a symptom of freezing), the vibration slowly increases, encouraging them to release the pressure. Additionally, the OnCue system uses artificial intelligence to predict subsequent letters and highlight them on the keyboard. This provides the user with a visual cue that helps prevent errors and hesitation. The gaming-inspired design, with its split structure and raised key edges, minimizes errors and hand strain. Users can adjust the intensity of the vibration and backlighting.

Polish inventions appreciated by Dyson

In previous editions of the competition, between 2022 and 2024, winning projects included Ireland's Athena (a portable and affordable device to prevent hair loss for chemotherapy patients) , Singapore's airXeed Radiosonde (a reusable, nature-inspired sensor that improves weather forecasting and helps combat electronic waste), the Golden Capsule created by a South Korean team (a hands-free infusion device designed for areas affected by natural disasters), and Hong Kong's E-Coating project (a coating for external walls with a high cooling effect, reducing the environmental costs of air conditioning). But two inventions from Poland were also among the winners. In 2023, the Chariot of Life project, created by Piotr Tłuszcz from the Academy of Fine Arts in Lublin, was unrivaled at the international level (in the humanitarian aid category). The Jan Matejko Ambulance Trailer in Krakow is an off-road ambulance trailer with a universal towing system. The previous year, Smartheal won. This name refers to an intelligent wound dressing sensor. This innovation, created by a team from Warsaw University of Technology (Tomasz Raczyński, Dominik Baraniecki, and Piotr Walter), measures pH levels and indicates the state of wound healing.