Scottish Pupil’s Solution for Wildfire Detection ProtoType Unveiled  

Imogen, a pupil at Linlithgow Primary School, submitted her engineering idea to Primary Engineer’s annual UK STEM competition which asks pupils aged 3 –19 the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” in 2025.

She was recognised as one of the winner in her year group at the Scotland South East award ceremony, one of 25 regional UK events, in 2025.

Her solution addressed a very real challenge faced by communities around the world. Wildfires and grass fires can cause serious damage to the environment and put lives at risk which is why early detection can make a crucial difference in reducing the spread and impact of these fires.

Each year Industry and University partners of Primary Engineer choose a pupil’s idea to build into a Prototype and to be revealed a year later at the regional awards ceremony.

Thales (Glasgow) selected Imogen’s idea to life during the 2025-2026 academic year. After reading Imogen’s letter and studying her drawing, the team immediately knew this was the project they wanted to bring to life. Her passion for helping communities affected by wildfires was inspiring. The team was also impressed by the clear and thoughtful way she described what she wanted the drone to do and the questions she asked from an engineering point of view.

The finished prototype was officially unveiled on 21st May at the Scotland South East regional award ceremony hosted at Napier University in Edinburgh

The 2026/27 Competition is Officially OPEN so get involved to experience the fun! Register for full competition access and resources here: https://leadersaward.com/resource-area-registration/

Primary Engineer Public Exhibitions and Award Ceremonies continue all over the UK through to July, with thousands of pupils engineering ideas being displayed for all to see. Find out more: https://leadersaward.com/exhibitions-and-events/