NEWS
FROM ThE UNIVERSITY
EUREKA!
PUTTING A STOP TO BACK PAIN
thanks to the hard work of a team at the University of strathclyde’s
National Centre for Prosthetics and orthotics, a back problem which
affects millions of people across Britain could become a thing of
the past. Experts at the University have invented the orthominder™
which helps to combat lower back pain. the lightweight, discreet
device is worn as a belt under clothing with an electronic processor
attached. the belt vibrates to remind the user to perform the ‘hollowing
manoeuvre’ and measures how effectively the exercise has been
carried out. the device allows users to accurately repeat the exercise,
which builds up muscle endurance, during their daily routine. As the
exercise needs to be performed up to 100 times a day, the new belt
will be a great help to sufferers, as traditional back support braces can
limit the amount of exercise wearers do and lead to muscle weakening.
TAM o’HAGGIS
AN INVENTIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK BY STRATHCLYDE STUDENTS HAS BEEN
SHORTLISTED IN THE HSBC UNIPRENEURS AWARDS 2008
What started out as a school project has the Giglets series is so far enjoying Giglets Ltd has a place on the 20-strong
snowballed into a successful business great success. the book and CD are shortlist, and if the boys survive the next
for two Strathclyde business students. stocked in several major bookstores and round of judging they will progress to a
Craig Johnstone and Scott Francis, then are also being made available to some live final, where they must impress both
aged just 18, founded Giglets Ltd as a local authorities, while the company the judges and the audience with their
Young Enterprise company while they was nominated in the 2007 Ayrshire business acumen. At the time of writing,
were still at school. Now, the company Business Awards as well as the hsBC the final at BAFtA London is just weeks
has been shortlisted for the UK-wide UniPreneur Awards 2008. away. Good luck guys!
HSBC UniPreneurs Awards 2008.
Giglets provides imaginative teaching
materials to help primary school pupils
engage with great works of literature.
Giglets’ first product, a CD and
illustrated book based on the Burns
poem Tam O’Shanter and renamed Tam
O’Haggis, launched in time for Burns
Night 2007. Although retaining much of
the language and spirit of the original,
the Giglets version is more accessible
for a young audience, with a read-along
CD and tipsy tam replaced with a
horse-riding haggis!
Giglets’ Managing Director Craig
is now a first-year international Business
student at strathclyde, while sales
Director scott is in his first year of a
course in international Business with
Modern Languages.
6 strathclyde people
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