TWO design projects of students of the University of the Philippines-Diliman were named as National Winner and National Runner-up in the 2020 James Dyson Award Philippines.

The national winner, ReBirth,  is a birthing tool that “accommodates a variety of birthing positions by changing configuration which was made from polyurethane foam and coconut coir and covered in a waterproof olefin fabric.”

ReBirth was created by Gian Andrei Fabia and Geraldine Escano of the College of Engineering, Philippe Joseph Encinas of the College of Architecture, Erik Darwin Asia of College of Fine Arts and Senando Angelo Santiago of the College of Law.

“Depending on how the tool is configured, the expectant mother can either lie on it or sit on it for support while she is giving birth. It can be folded into two configurations: an upright mode and a lying down mode,” the group said.

Meanwhile, Box Office was designed by a team that includes College of Fine Arts students and alumnae Reinna Micaella Biaca, Nina Patricia Morales and Mayumi Catabijan.

Box Office has three main configurations —a wall desk when mounted on a wall, a work tray 15 cm tall that can be used on a bed or similar surface, and a 42 cm tall desk that can be used as a floor table or a standing desk.

“The Box Office helps the work-from-home community living in small spaces by providing a private environment that not only helps with concentration but also sets clear boundaries between work and personal life,” the team said.

Over 1,700 young inventors from 27 countries and regions entered this year’s competition. Their projects addressed problems ranging from micro-plastic pollution to non-invasive blood sugar monitoring.

Each country will have one national winner and two national runners-up.

Dyson engineers will then shortlist the remaining competitors to 20 entries, which will be announced on Oct. 15.

The James Dyson Award is an annual international design award that celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It is open to current and recent design engineering students, and is run by the James Dyson Foundation.