Messy teenagers and busy parents alike would surely rush to theshops to buy a machine which scoops up all of the rubbish lurkingunder the bed and gets rid of it.
This is just one of many ideas dreamed up by pupils at WhitehallPrimary School in Easton as part of the Really Useful Inventionproject.
The young inventors' challenge was launched by the Evening Post,Airbus Bristol Education Action Zone.
The project aims to fire the pupils' imagination, develop theirteamwork skills and give them a sense of citizenship.
Staff from Airbus, in Filton, have been assigned to nursery,infant, junior and senior schools in the city to help the childrendesign a "really useful" invention which will go on show in @Bristol.
Inventions devised by 60 Whitehall pupils aged 10 and 11 include abox which helps patients know when to take different pills, and amirror which lets you see the back of your head while you style yourhair.
Pupil Oscar, aged 10, designed a machine which helps keep kids'rooms clean by storing and compressing their clothes.
He said: "I had loads of ideas for different inventions. It wasgood fun thinking them up." Jessica, aged 11, invented a handbagwhich combines a mirror and hair accessories with a lockable secretdiary. She said: "I think most girls would find this a really usefulinvention. It would be good fun to invent things as a job one day."Pupil Harpreet, aged 11, who invented a personal alarm, said:"There's a cord so you can wear it around your neck or you can clipit to your belt, and it's specially adapted so people with arthritiscan use it easily." Simon Cameron, aged 24, from Airbus, who has beenhelping the pupils with their inventions, studied at the Universityof the West of England in Bristol for a degree in aerospacemanufacturing engineering, followed by a Masters degree, and joinedAirbus 18 months ago as a graduate.
He said: "The pupils have come up with many good ideas. To startthem off I took some aircraft parts to the school and set them achallenge to design and make paper planes.
"I think the project is great for the children because it developstheir problem-solving, teamwork, design and building skills."Whitehall school teacher Tim Seddon said: "The pupils have reallyenjoyed the invention challenge. They looked at a gadget catalogueand adapted the designs using their own ideas." The Bristol EducationAction Zone was set up in the city centre to combat the effects ofdeprivation.
The science spectacular has already received the backing of PrimeMinister Tony Blair.
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