Greater Manchester pupil’s invention ‘Rainbow Glasses’ awarded Gold Medal in London
Millie, a Year 5 pupil at Light Oaks Junior School in Greater Manchester, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Gold medal at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for her innovative invention to help those with Dyslexia.
Millie’s invention, ‘Rainbow Glasses’, assists individuals with dyslexia in reading more easily. Her innovative solution featured glasses with interchangeable coloured lenses, allowing users to select the hue that best alleviated visual stress and improved reading comfort.
It was initially submitted to the “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” annual STEM competition, ran by Primary Engineer, in 2024. UK School pupils from the ages of 3-19 are tasked with interviewing an engineer, before being asked to identify a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative, engineered solution to that problem. All entries are read and graded by professional engineers, with every single pupil who takes part receiving a named and graded certificate. The competition then culminates in exciting regional public exhibitions and award ceremonies, where shortlisted designs are displayed, and the winners and highly commended are invited on stage to receive their awards.
The Cheadle team from Thales UK, one of Primary Engineer’s national partners, selected Millie’s idea to develop into a working prototype during the 2024–2025 academic year. The ProtoTeam, initially comprising five engineers and later expanding to seven, collaborated to bring Millie’s concept to life. After evaluating various options, including electrochromic and thermochromic lenses, the team settled on an LED-based solution. This approach allowed the lenses to change colour to red, green, or blue, providing users with the flexibility to choose the most suitable tint for their reading needs. The team engaged in weekly meetings, collaborated with researchers from the University of Georgia, and delivered STEM lessons at Millie’s school to ensure the prototype met her expectations. The finished prototype was unveiled at Primary Engineer Greater Manchester regional award ceremony on 15th July 2025, then submitted to the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award.
The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal, which is now in its fourth year, acts as the forerunner to the illustrious MacRobert Award, the leading prize for engineering innovation in the UK. Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is designed to celebrate the achievements of the school pupils, students and young engineers who have all worked together to create innovative and world-changing prototypes based on a school pupil’s engineering idea.
Unfortunately Millie was unable to join us but the Thales prototeam attended the official award ceremony for The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal ceremony at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on Monday 17th November 2025. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony is a collaboration between Primary Engineer and The MacRobert Trust, with support from Weir and Christopher Ward.
Earlier this year, Sarah, Millie’s mum said “Millie has loved every second of this experience and it has really motivated her. She has been really excited through the whole journey and she is so hopeful about the future. Her grandad was an Engineer and this is the sector she has always wanted to work in and her dreams have been made into a reality. Thank you so much for giving Millie this opportunity.”
Congratulations to all the medalists, and you can find a full list of them here: Primary Engineer Award School Pupils and Engineers in London – Primary Engineer
Read more about this prototype here: https://www.primaryengineer.com/tag/thalescpt25/