Clean Sweep: Pupil design Unveil as a Street Cleaning ProtoType

The Super Sucking Machine (SSM) aims to clean the streets as you pedal which makes it both helpful for local communities and great for the environment. It shows how engineering can make a real difference in everyday life and help create a cleaner and more sustainable world.

This idea was created by Ellis, a pupil at Welton Primary School, who submitted his 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. He was recognised as one of the highly commended in his year group at the South West award ceremony, one of 25 regional UK events, in 2025.

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.

The team from GKN Aerospace chose his idea because it addressed a real-world issue that affects every community, while promoting sustainability and active travel. The concept was impactful yet practical and would have real world applications today. The idea was ambitious enough to create a meaningful engineering challenge but simple enough to be realistically developed into a working prototype. The SSM also aligned closely with GKN Aerospace’s mission to be the most trusted and sustainable partner in the sky; through this project, the SSM could be the most trusted and sustainable vehicle on the ground.

The finished prototype was officially unveiled on 3rd July at the South West regional award ceremony hosted at Liverpool John Moores University.

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/