An aspiring engineer from Ross-on-Wye has won a national award after designing an atmospheric air pollution sensor for a car.

Elic Wales, aged 13, teamed up with 12-year-old Tom Thornton from Berry Hill to win the Best use of Hydrogen section in Arcola Energy’s Hydrogen Hack initiative.

The duo were among 13 young inventors and programmers, aged from eight to 18 years old, who took part in the initiative at Monmouth School for Boys.

Another group at the Monmouth event designed a ketchup-supplying robot which was awarded the fun prize by the judging panel in London. Sixteen-year-old Lara Evans, from Newent, also took part in the project.

The youngsters used software and hardware to transform everyday items as part of the Schools Hydrogen Challenge, Arcola’s long-running, not-for-profit education programme.

The scheme highlighted the benefits of fuel cell and hydrogen technology and youngsters, in their small groups, used RPi, Arduino and a Fuel Cell to make their chosen items do something new.

Teacher Lyndsay Hope, from Monmouth School for Boys, ran the event with support from mentors from industry, including Abergavenny’s Stuart Ball.

The youngsters were taken for a spin in a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car on the opening day of the week-long hack.

Llandrindod Wells-based Riversimple, a manufacturer of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles, provided two mentors and also brought along a car which the company is developing.

Mrs Hope believes the initiative offered a creative, innovative and fun way for the youngsters to learn more about clean energy.

The Hydrogen Hack took place at 10 regional centres across the UK.

Mrs Hope added: “I was hugely impressed with the projects at the Monmouth centre because the youngsters worked with advanced hardware and software.

“Their attention to detail was first-class and the aspiring engineers quickly got to grips with the new software and hardware, and worked together with maturity on their projects.”

Mrs Hope is now preparing for a Computer Science Fair which is being held at Monmouth School for Boys on Sunday, November 19th.

For more information about the event, which is open to all, visit: tinyurl.com/wyehack