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Mark Champkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 April 1977 |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge, Royal College of Art |
| Occupation | Product designer |
Mark Champkins FRSA (born 25 April 1977) is a product designer best known for his 2007 appearance on Dragons' Den. [1][ failed verification]
Career
Champkins studied manufacturing engineering at the University of Cambridge and industrial design engineering at the Royal College of Art in London. [2] He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an industrial advisor to Cambridge University Engineering Department. [3][ failed verification]
Champkins' design for a line of "self-heating" crockery was awarded British Invention of the Year at the British Invention Show.[ when?] [4] [5][ failed verification] [6][ failed verification]
In 2004, Champkins won a business award from NESTA [7] and founded Concentrate Design, a company that develops products intended to help pupils to concentrate at school.[ citation needed] Champkins pitched the enterprise on Dragons' Den in 2007, winning an investment from Peter Jones. [8]
In 2011, Champkins was named inventor-in-residence at the London Science Museum and tasked with designing products inspired by the museum collection. [9]
Champkins is the author of The Big Book of Celebrity Inventions. [10]
Design work
Champkins has been responsible for designing and launching a number of products intended to enhance the concentration of pupils at school. The products aim to help pupils focus in the classroom by ensuring that they stay hydrated, eat healthy food, sit comfortably and are in the best state to learn. The products include:
The Bottlecoolerpenholder; a thermally insulating wet-suit style jacket for water bottles, which stores stationery and acts as a reminder for children to drink plenty of water during lessons. The Chairpadbag; a bag that doubles as a padded seat cover to make hard plastic chairs more comfortable. The Food for Thought Lunchbox; which encourages children to eat more fruit and the Lunchbox Cooler; a thermally insulating bag that ensures that the contents of a lunchbox stay cool and palatable before eating.
Other products include a USB stick in the shape of a brain which lights up with a brightness corresponding to according to how much data is on it, DIY Reflective Stickers that pupils can cut out and customise their bags, bikes or scooters with, and a range of Anti-Smell Sports Bags, which contains a charcoal odour absorbing patch to ensure sports kits left at school remains as fragrant as possible.
In 2008, Champkins released a number of more tongue-in-cheek products, including a Voting Ruler, with which pupils can vote 'yes' or 'no' by holding the appropriate end, coffee Mugs of Authority which allow teachers to silently communicate with their pupils phrases such as 'Put That Down' and 'Stop Doing That' as well packs of Pre-chewed Pencils.
The Pre-chewed Pencils caught the attention of bloggers, leading to an appearance on Chris Evans BBC Radio 2 drive time show to explain the invention. [11]
Champkins also provided design input to Joshua Silver's Adaptive Spectacles and Imperial College's Body Sensing Network, both of which promote well-being and education. [12]
In 2012, Champkins was commissioned by the Science Museum to design Stephen Hawking a 70th Birthday present. He created the "Black Hole Light" which represents the path light would take falling into a black hole. The light alludes to Hawking radiation and also makes reference to a Geissler tube, similar to a neon light, which provided clues about the existence of sub-atomic particles, arguably leading to the field of Quantum mechanics. [13]
References
- ^ "BBC Two - Dragons' Den: How to Win in the Den, The Idea". BBC.
- ^ "Biography on Smarter Products Website". Archived from the original on 1 November 2007.
- ^ "Home page | CUED undergraduate teaching". teaching.eng.cam.ac.uk.
- ^ "Royal College of Art Innovation Unit Website". Archived from the original on 20 August 2010.
- ^ "Tomorrow's World". Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ "Discovery Channel". Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- ^ "Independent Newspaper". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "Simply Business". Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Science Museum Website". Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ^ "The Big Book of Celebrity Inventions". HarperCollins Publishers UK. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Chris Evans". Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ Body Sensing Network Archived 9 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Science Museum Website". Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.