A design student at Sunderland university has been awarded a £750 grant by the Audi Foundation to build a prototype personal automatic tablet dispensing device.
Mr Jonathan Southgate, a former nurse who is studying for a BSc in product design management, is developing a device that will automatically remind people to take their tablets and dispense the correct doses at the press of a button. It is intended to be useful for elderly or disabled people.
Mr Southgate told The Journal on February 22: "At this stage, my design could take on a number of forms to address these objectives, although it will be electronic, battery powered and constructed largely from thermoplastic material."

The Audi Foundation's manager (Michael Farmer) (left) presents Jonathan Southgate with his award