A nine-year-old boy from Buckinghamshire has won a national technology tournament.
Finlay Oakes, who is from Buckingham, beat nearly 900 people to win the ‘Do the Robot’ competition, with his entry being picked as the winner by the TV duo of Dick & Dom.
The contest was organised by Currys PC World to help parents entertain children through lockdown, with the winning design now being professionally created and used in stores across the UK as a pointer to kids tech.
The nine-year-old also won £5,000 in vouchers to spend on kids’ tech with the retailer.
Following the victory, Finlay said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out I had won the ‘Do the Robot’ competition.
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“I loved designing my robot and it was so fun to do something creative when I wasn’t being home-schooled.
Finlay Oakes' entry, Loki, won the Currys PC World’s ‘Do the Robot’ competition
“I spent one week creating Loki and used Currys PC World’s website for inspiration.
"I am so excited to see Loki used in stores across the country, I can’t wait to go and see it for myself with my family.
“I will also start planning how I will spend the £5,000 voucher, I’ve already got my eye on a tablet!”
Finlay’s winning tech-robot, Loki, (pronounced ‘Low Key’), features a fridge freezer body that can fill limitless amounts of ice cream.
Loki’s mouth is a soundbar to play everyone’s favourite music and his eyes are iPads to keep the family amused.
The tech body does not stop there, as Loki also has an Amazon Alexa as a brain, two Nintendo Switches for feet, one arm is a whisk to mix delicious cupcakes or hot chocolates, and the other arm is a Gaming Controller to keep his gaming record on track.
Loki’s extra special functions come from his detachable cape that can turn into a film projector screen, and at the end of the day when all the fun and amusement has been had, Loki’s body can transform into a gaming chair to help his family relax and game in.
On picking the winning entry, Dick & Dom commented: “It was fantastic to see so many entries, we had a really tough task deciding the winner of the Do the Robot competition, but we both agreed the Loki tech-robot was the ultimate winner.
Finlay defeated more than 800 people to get the top prize
“We loved Finlay’s careful consideration into how tech would bring the robot to life, particularly the smart-home brain and games controller arms.
“During these tough times, this entry put the biggest smile on our faces which we wanted to share with the nation.”
The campaign was launched after research revealed 75 per cent of parents felt overwhelmed as they faced juggling work and home-schooling commitments.
Over two-fifths of parents agreeing that they would like their children to take part in more creative activities, both at home and at school.
For more information, visit www.currys.co.uk/DotheRobot.
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