A LIMERICK student is diving into the world of invention with both feet and coming up tops.
Cathal Redmond said he was absolutely thrilled to be named the runner up at the prestigious James Dyson Awards for his innovative underwater breathing system.
The 26-year-old picked up the runner up prize for his Express Dive invention and a $7,500 grant from the James Dyson Foundation to develop his product.
The University of Limerick, product and technology design graduate was required to design something that solves a problem.
The Express Dive is a step forward for small scuba systems and aims to provide a cross-between expensive scuba equipment and snorkelling, allowing amateur divers to breathe underwater for up to two minutes.
Once the air supply begins to run out, the user simply resurfaces and holds a button to refill the one-litre tank.
Cathal is one of just three students, including the overall winner and one other runner-up, out of over 700 entrants from 20 countries worldwide to receive an international prize.
He is also the first Irish student in the 11-year history of the awards to do so.
Speaking to The Irish Post, he said that developing the product was a challenging experience.
“Express Dive is a groundbreaking new product category, so I really took the problem I was tackling to its roots,” he said.
“What difficulties do people exploring the underwater environment face? I kept coming back to what defines great products.
“It needs to be easy to use and feel great while using it, whiling enabling the user to do something fantastic. I was juggling all this while keeping user safety at the very forefront of my priorities. It’s no easy task to accomplish.”
Cathal’s invention was a result of a childhood passion and curiosity for underwater life, including rock formations and an abundant variety of fish.
He faced the reality of being unable to afford expensive scuba equipment at a young age, and used this as his inspiration to create an affordable, easy to use and accessible product.
Following the success of Express Dive, he revealed that he has several other projects lined up.
“I have a couple of backburner projects I have been quietly working on since leaving university, some in the recreational or adventure sports field, and one or two in the tech realm,” he said. “But I can’t say much more, all I can really say about them is watch this space.”
Cathal believes that creativity and perseverance is key to coming up with an innovative product, and his advice to anyone with an inventive mind is to “let your imagination run wild, stay curious and investigate what intrigues you.”
“Dont be afraid to make mistakes. I took apart many things when I was young, and you can be sure they didn’t all go back together by the time I was done,” he said.
“As Tomas Edison said during the development of the light bulb “I have not failed, I have simply found 10,000 ways which do not work.”
