YOUNG engineers from Ilkley Grammar School had a glimpse of the future when taking part in the Institute of Engineering and Technology Challenge.

The event took place at at Ermysted’s Grammar School in Skipton on Wednesday, June 11 and Ilkley Grammar School was represented by Emily Guillard, Helena Leach, Emma Cooper, Isaac Herrington, Matthew Hall and Matthew Boyle on the blue team, while Joe Haigh, Ben Bearpark, Adam Cooke, Joseph Cooke, Nathan Foster and Harry Clough were on the white team.

The 36 students taking part who were from Rossett, Skipton and Ilkley, were challenged to build a warning beacon conveying information useful to cyclists about the road or weather conditions ahead.

They were asked to design and build a circuit from electronic components which had to be paid for out of a fixed budget. Several completely new skills had to be mastered quickly, as well as the traditional ones of teamwork, time keeping and detailed planning.

The circuit was to be housed inside a plastic casing of the team’s own design. For many of students and teachers alike, the most exciting moment was when these structures began to appear on the 3D printers as it was the first time any had ever seen them working.

The final product was presented to the expert audience in a sales pitch.

Despite the genuine toughness of the challenge all the teams managed to complete the task, but the IGS white team were chosen as the winners because of their intricate and imaginative solution.

Their prize was vouchers for Manchester Velodrome.

Mr Pete Beaumont, Head of Physics at IGS thanked and congratulated the students. He said: " ‘Their ingenuity, patience, enthusiasm and creativity and, it goes almost without saying, their impeccable manners and exemplary behaviour made them stand out students.

"Thanks also to IET for organising such an interesting educational event and to Dr Devinder Gill and Ermysted’s School for their hospitality.

"It may be that IGS could be the host school for some similar event in the near future. Few would disagree that our country is going to need lots of people with skills in Science, Design and Technology in the coming decades.

"The teams told me that their existing interest in Engineering as a career had been increased further by this experience and this, for me, rounded off a very successful day. "