Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Bridgewater is the 2024 winner of the Sanjay Mortimer Basis Rising Star Award, an award which recognises neurodivergent younger individuals who have the potential to contribute drastically in direction of engineering.
As a scholar at Newcastle College, Lottie created the “TuCan”, an assistive expertise system that helps people with low grip power to open beverage cans. Right here, Lottie tells TCT Journal in regards to the TuCan, her profession ambitions, and being an envoy for neurodiverse ladies in engineering.
TCT: Lottie, you’re this 12 months’s recipient of the SMF Rising Star Award- congratulations! How does it really feel to be recognised to your achievements?
L: Thanks! It’s unbelievable to be recognised, particularly after years of navigating the challenges of being an autistic lady in a area the place I’ve typically felt the necessity to go the additional mile to have my tutorial achievements stand out.
TCT: When did you first uncover 3D printing and your ardour for design? What drew you to it?
L: I’ve been captivated with design my total life—from LEGO kits and practice tracks as a baby, to a GCSE in Design and Expertise as an adolescent, and now learning engineering whereas constructing tasks in my spare time. I’ve solely had entry to 3D printers for a couple of 12 months by the Newcastle College engineering division, however they’ve been a recreation changer, permitting me to frequently create my designs and discover new mechanisms which might be tough to attain with out print-in-place expertise. I’m excited to see the place this journey leads!
TCT: Inform us in regards to the “TuCan” and the inspiration behind it.
L: The ‘TuCan’ is the identify of my third-year dissertation venture, an assistive system to assist these with low dexterity open drinks cans. It took place after I was speaking to a buddy of mine at the beginning of the educational 12 months. She has a incapacity that impacts her grip power and dexterity, and whereas we have been on the telephone she was struggling to open a drinks can. I did some analysis and found that there wasn’t actually something in the marketplace that didn’t depend on some grip by the person to take the highest of the can off fully, so I made a decision to pursue it as a venture. It has been actually rewarding, and thus far I’ve managed to 3D print a semi-working prototype. The mechanism makes use of a print-in-place design, which is one thing I’ve actually loved accessing, because it opens a whole lot of doorways. Hopefully I’ll be capable to attain a completely purposeful model over the subsequent 12 months.
TCT: When the SMF’s Teula Bradshaw welcomed you on stage on the TCT Awards, she mentioned you have been an ‘glorious ambassador for neurodiverse ladies in engineering.’ Do you’re feeling that duty with this recognition?
L: I do – I feel that although engineering will be a superb profession for neurodivergent folks, it may be onerous to get by all of the levels of training to get right here. I hope my work now, and sooner or later, can present neurodivergent people who it is doable and price it, and likewise present these concerned in creating and sustaining assist programs (which is everyone) what will be achieved when neurodivergent individuals are given the assist they want. Help and understanding of neurodivergence can look completely different for ladies, however a range of minds in engineering is essential. It permits us to strategy issues from plenty of distinctive views, resulting in extra progressive and inclusive options.
TCT: You’ve simply completed your third-year dissertation whereas learning Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle College. What are your ambitions to your engineering profession?
L: After I end my Grasp’s course subsequent 12 months (Mechanical Engineering with Biomedical Engineering), I hope to enter designing assistive units that may be helpful, accessible and enjoyable. Whereas that is an space that’s seen plenty of enchancment just lately, a whole lot of assistive units are nonetheless cumbersome, costly or ugly, which makes them inaccessible to lots of people. Finally I’d like to use for CEng standing. Total, I hope to spend my time creating units that make life not solely extra accessible however extra gratifying for everybody.
Have you ever entered this 12 months’s TCT Awards? Submissions for the 2025 version of the business’s annual celebration of 3D printing and additive manufacturing excellence are open till January twenty second. To seek out out extra and enter your AM expertise or utility, go to tctawards.com.