LSBU student designs innovative bicycle lock to stop petty theft

He received the ‘New Designers Innovate - Helping Inventors Design’ award and was prized with £750 cash plus a work placement with Innovate Product Design.

The idea for Bryn’s SeatLocky design was initially spurred as a solution to stop the problem of his bike being stolen. Bryn explains: “On three occasions over the last two years, someone has stolen either my seat or my bike. I wanted to build a locking system that was fit into the actual frame of the bicycle, not only as a solution to carrying around a clunky D lock, but as a solution to stop people stealing my bike.”

Dr Deborah Andrews, Associate Professor of Design in the School of Engineering at LSBU said, “I am delighted that Bryn’s well thought-out integrated bike lock was so well received by the judges. His design represents the emphasis our engineering product design course places on a holistic approach, design, thinking and creativity to ensure that solutions are resourceful and innovative.”

Bryn will shortly begin his placement with Innovative Product design and his next goal is to get the SeatLocky patent protected, Bryn said: “Winning this award means a lot, I’ve put so much hard work into my SeatLocky design but didn’t expect for it to take off. This placement will be completely new territory for me and I’m really looking forward to being involved in the commercial side of designing a product that’s going to be mass-manufactured.”

The LSBU projects on show demonstrated the creativity and ingenuity of the final year students. As well as Bryn’s SeatLocky, LSBU student designs included modular bicycles, sound cancelling panels for indoor gardens and sensor-based musical instruments.

“This experience has been fantastic for all of our talented final-year students and we’re very proud that they’ve been recognised for their hard work. New Designers is the UK's leading graduate design exhibition and a unique opportunity for our students to meet internationally renowned design professionals and see what it takes to be part of the workforce,” said Dr Andrews.

The LSBU exhibit picked up a number of awards including Absolut Vodka 'top things to see’, Materials KTN pick of New Designers as well as two students interviewed for the Winnovate award.