Libby and the ProtoTeam won a gold medal for BenchBed at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Awards. Libby and the ProtoTeam with a prototype of her BenchBed design. School pupil Libby designed the BenchBed, a bench for public seating during the day that at night can become a bed for people experiencing homelessness to sleep in. This innovative concept was developed into a working prototype by the ProtoTeam from the School of Engineering. It offers features including walls for privacy, solar panels for power and heat, internal storage, USB charging, lighting, and a basic communication system. Libby, from Cockenzie Primary School in East Lothian, was praised for her design’s social impact, practicality, and real-world potential. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal was designed to celebrate the achievements of school pupils, students and young engineers who have worked together to create innovative and world changing prototypes. These prototypes came from the ideas from school pupils aged 3-19 who answered the question 'If you were an engineer, what would you do?' as part of Primary Engineer’s annual competition. Getting gold was an amazing experience for me, I really enjoyed seeing the other prototypes and thought they all had brilliant ideas. Everyone there was so nice. I’ve had so much fun and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to make my bench a reality. Libby Gold medalist and school pupil From the very beginning, we knew Libby’s design was something truly special. It was inspiring to see a young person thinking creatively about how to help others in her community. The team are thrilled that their prototype – developed from Libby’s design and shaped with her input throughout – has won a Gold MacRobert Award. This achievement is a real testament to the team’s technical expertise and their dedication to engaging with young people to inspire the next generation of engineers, especially in such a competitive field of outstanding prototypes. We are also grateful to Primary Engineer for running such an excellent programme that makes this possible. Dr Katie Grant Widening Participation and Outreach Manager at the School of Engineering The MacRobert Trust is proud to support the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal, which exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration in engineering. Inspiring young people to engage with real-world engineering challenges is essential to nurture the next generation of creative and skilled innovators. We are honoured to encourage curiosity, critical thinking and ambition amongst young people. Engineering is at the heart of the future and addressing opportunities at an early age is so important. Gillian Currie Chief Executive Officer at The MacRobert Trust Related links Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal This article was published on 2025-12-01
