0:00:21 > 0:00:24In last year's series, I travelled the length and breadth
0:00:24 > 0:00:26of the country meeting some of Northern Ireland's
0:00:26 > 0:00:29most innovative entrepreneurs.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Who could forget Welly Wet Suit from Belfast,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37See.Sense from Newtownards and the yoga bag from Cullyhanna?
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Ah!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Now that we've got a second series,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43we've even more hungry entrepreneurs to show you.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46This year, we're bringing in Sarah Travers. Hello, Sarah.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48- Hello, Stephen. - What are we doing this year, then?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Well, this time I'm going to be giving you a little bit of a helping
0:00:51 > 0:00:53hand as we travel across the country to meet some of the brilliant
0:00:53 > 0:00:55entrepreneurs out there.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57We'll be hearing all about manufacturing in Moira.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And beds in where?
0:00:59 > 0:01:01- Ballymena.- Mm!- Ballymena?!
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I know exactly what's going to be going on at home now.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09People will be watching this and they love one idea.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Yeah, and then some of you at home will be saying,
0:01:12 > 0:01:13"That's never going to work,"
0:01:13 > 0:01:17so that's why we've created the people's panel,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21members of the public like you and I looking at the products and thinking
0:01:21 > 0:01:23to themselves, "That is going to actually work."
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Or not.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Stephen's off to meet a dental technician who's invented a product
0:01:32 > 0:01:33to protect his good looks,
0:01:33 > 0:01:38if he ever takes up a sport like rugby or cage fighting.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Now, we all know the dangers of head injuries in MMA fighting and rugby.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And particularly cauliflower ear.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52# Protect your ears. #
0:01:52 > 0:01:55But Finaghy-based dental technician Brenda Phillips has come up with a
0:01:55 > 0:01:57possible solution.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00- Brenda, nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, Stephen.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- And you've got a parrot on your shoulder.- I have indeed.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05She comes into work with me every day and goes home with me
0:02:05 > 0:02:07every night.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Cauliflower ear!
0:02:09 > 0:02:11But more importantly, you've got an invention in your hand.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Absolutely. This is Caulear.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I came up with this idea through watching television and there was
0:02:17 > 0:02:20a rugby match on and the story with John Afoa,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23charging up the pitch, he got tackled
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and his ear burst open.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30At that point I thought, "Ah, there must be a need for some protection
0:02:30 > 0:02:31"to stop cauliflower ears,"
0:02:31 > 0:02:34so I went into work and I made a shield
0:02:34 > 0:02:36and tried it on to Connor there.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38How does this work?
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Well, this is a strong,
0:02:40 > 0:02:46flexible rubber-type material that is custom-made to fit your ear.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48- Now, if a double-decker bus hits you, Stephen...- Yes.- ..you know,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- it's not going to do you any good. - Would you stop touching my belly?
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I've told you about this earlier before!
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Amazingly, in a small dental technician's lab,
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Brenda has invented the world's first tailor-made ear-guard
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and already she's getting some international interest.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11It's sold in America, Mexico, Italy and France.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Do you see people having to go in somewhere to get a mould every time
0:03:14 > 0:03:17they want to buy one of these or will there be a little package that
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- you buy that you do it at home? - There's a couple of things
0:03:19 > 0:03:22they can do. They can come down to the laboratory and get their moulds
0:03:22 > 0:03:24made, but if anybody out there anywhere else,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27what's happening, the ones that got it in America and France and so
0:03:27 > 0:03:30forth, we send them out the kit, they take their own moulds,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33send it to us, we manufacture their ear shield
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and then post it out to them.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Wow.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Now, my rugby days might be well behind me but I've decided to let
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Brenda take a mould of my ears.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45These two compounds together will harden.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46What are these two compounds?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- These are just two pieces of putty. - HE CHUCKLES
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Just two pieces of putty...- OK.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54..and we're just mixing them together here and then
0:03:54 > 0:03:56we're going to take a wee mould of your ear.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Have I got fat ears, too?- Erm...
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Well, does your mother lick your ears?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Can you have fat ears?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- You can have all different types of ears.- Can you?
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- Yep.- So if I lost weight, would my ears get skinnier?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I don't know about that because I think your ears and your nose grow
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- throughout your life.- Do they? - Yes...- I'll tell you what,
0:04:14 > 0:04:15nothing else grows.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18SHE LAUGHS
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Now, that's not hurting you, so stop you messing about.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- There you go. There you go. - Banging me ear?!
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Just checking. Just checking.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30And once the putty's hardened, it's time to remove the mould.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32You'll see the big lump of wax coming out with it.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33No, that's not too bad.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Oh, that's not too bad. - That's not too bad.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36I know what you're all thinking,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39that you would all pay big money for a mould of my ear, wouldn't you?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41A thousand quid a pop.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Well, I have moulded other body parts.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Breasts and torsos and things like that, but
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I just didn't pursue it with you.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Why would you mould someone's breasts?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Breasts? Well, not completely breasts, sort of their torso.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- Why would you do that? - Well, if you get a muscleman,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- they like to have it as a piece of art on their wall.- Oh, right!
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Brenda's an inventive woman, but what about the future?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- I was looking at the 3D printing side of things...- Uh-huh.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11..so that you could maybe scan on your phone. Could you picture that?
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Scan your ear on your phone and send it through to a 3D printer and 3D
0:05:15 > 0:05:17print one. But I don't think they've got the right material yet to 3D
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- print...- Yet.- ..but it's something, if it's not going to happen now,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- it'll probably happen in the future. - And how much would they cost?
0:05:23 > 0:05:28But again... These are around £80. Depending.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31You could get ones with different flags on it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32- Flags.- Flags.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Are you serious, red, white and blue ones?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Yes, I have got a set of red, white and blue there.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- Do you?- Mm-hm.- I hope you've got white and gold, too.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I do have. Ah-ha, got you there now, big guy.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Stop touching my belly!- No, Stephen!
0:05:44 > 0:05:47As they say, actually, if they push the belly button ten times, your
0:05:47 > 0:05:50eyes pop out. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- This woman is crazy.- No.- Caulear.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Caulear protect.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Chocolate. What you doing?
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Crazy or not, this small dental studio in Finaghy could become
0:06:02 > 0:06:05a worldwide centre for ear protection.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I think it's a really unique idea.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- I actually don't have any ears, I was born without them, so...- Mm.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16..the whole idea of protecting my ears sounds a bit strange,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but it's quite interesting.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22It's basically if you rip your ligament in your ear,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25it does bleed a lot and then it just swells up.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26And it sort of stays there, does it?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It just stays there, if you don't get it treated there and then,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31you get cauliflower ear.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37Basically, the guard is protecting the trauma directly to the ear,
0:06:37 > 0:06:38so I think it will work.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41But where do you stop? Are you just going to mould the whole head, then?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- THEY LAUGH - And then you've got this big plastic
0:06:44 > 0:06:46rubbery clear thing that you pop over your face.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47Exactly, yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53The 3D printing would be great for that sort of thing, especially if
0:06:53 > 0:06:55you could scan and do it yourself.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03Some of the best ideas come from life experience.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Our next inventor today was living with chronic pain and that's
0:07:07 > 0:07:10led her to develop a product that's now being distributed
0:07:10 > 0:07:13all across the world and all from her living room in East Belfast.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Originally from Kesh in County Fermanagh,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Fiona Bennington is a design engineer and the inventor of Hug,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24a wearable wraparound heat pack
0:07:24 > 0:07:27that helps with tummy, back and period pain.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Fiona, lovely to meet you.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34We're here to see the Hug, basically, today.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Tell us first of all why you invented it.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40OK, well, it's a little bit of a personal story, Hug.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Because I suffer from really bad period pain
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and I would have liked to have used a hot water bottle in work
0:07:44 > 0:07:48but there's a bit of a stigma about sitting in the office with a hot water bottle
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and you don't want to answer the questions people have and things
0:07:50 > 0:07:53so I was looking for something I could wear next to my skin,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55that I could hide under clothes, basically,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and I went on the internet and I searched for ages
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and I couldn't find anything that I was happy with.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Fiona set about developing the product herself,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07after creating a proof-of-concept prototype using basic materials from
0:08:07 > 0:08:11around her home. She was able to use her knowledge of the manufacturing
0:08:11 > 0:08:13industry to source a factory in China
0:08:13 > 0:08:15that would help move her designs
0:08:15 > 0:08:18towards a more production-ready model.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- So this is the Hug? - It is indeed, yes.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Well, go on, show us how it works, then.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24So, Hug is filled with gel beads.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26It is very soothing as a material.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27You can put it in the microwave and warm it up.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It takes about two minutes to get it to a comfortable heat.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Or you can put it in the freezer for an hour or so
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and then you can use it for cool relief, too.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Hug is designed to be worn under the clothes and around the waist.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Its adjustable straps mean that it can fit different sizes, while still
0:08:43 > 0:08:47targeting those areas associated with period pain and a more extreme
0:08:47 > 0:08:50condition called endometriosis.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55It's through an online community of women suffering with this condition
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that Fiona has discovered just how beneficial her product can be.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Hi, guys, I'm Jessica Duffin from thisendolife.com.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05As most of you know who follow me...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09..I have endometriosis.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition causing internal bleeding,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17cramping and really extreme pain.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22But, today, I want to talk about Hug.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I say that my period pain is crippling, but it's nothing
0:09:26 > 0:09:29compared to the ladies that are suffering from endometriosis,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32so I think the feedback from them is Hug has allowed them to just get on
0:09:32 > 0:09:34with their lives a little bit more
0:09:34 > 0:09:36and to get out and about and do things.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Many women get their relief from taking painkillers,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44so Fiona sees Hug as a healthier, more effective alternative
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and at £19.99, it seems like money well spent.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Having said that, what I love about this,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55and I'm sure other people will feel the same, is that it is like a hug.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I just, I think it's a really good product for endometriosis.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Every Hug purchased online
0:10:00 > 0:10:04is shipped directly from what was once Fiona's dining room.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And with her spare bedroom now being used as a workshop,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12I wanted to see where someone so productive comes up with all of their best ideas.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Ooh, I'll have a wee lie down, as well.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22From a device that automatically empties your kitty litter tray to
0:10:22 > 0:10:26an inflatable sleeping bag, it seems that Fiona is constantly inventing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I must start writing things down. What was my idea earlier?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30THEY LAUGH
0:10:30 > 0:10:34But her passion lies in creating products to help people in need.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36The feedback online has been great,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40but I think the thing which touches me the most is when someone takes the time to write an e-mail and say,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43"Look, this has changed my life. I'm able to leave the house now."
0:10:43 > 0:10:45That has really moved me, because that is what I was aiming for
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and you wouldn't understand how much it means to me.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It means so much when somebody says that and it only needs
0:10:50 > 0:10:52to be one person to just make my day or my week.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Well, fair play to you to actually deal with something that a lot of
0:10:56 > 0:11:00people find difficult to talk about and you are making a difference.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01- Good for you.- Thank you very much.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Fiona has sold Hugs to customers as far afield
0:11:06 > 0:11:08as New Zealand and America
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and, with a bit of luck, her product will soon be helping millions more
0:11:11 > 0:11:13women all over the world.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16# You need a hug... #
0:11:18 > 0:11:19That's very clever
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and if it means you're not taking as many painkillers...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Your heating runs out, and everybody's huddled around it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- For a lot of people, it's heat. - Yeah.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Heat really helps all types of pain, and so does cold.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35So two of those would allow someone to have a few hours of...
0:11:35 > 0:11:38of real genuine relief.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- And in fact, that price point, it's accessible.- Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44You don't feel you're being taken advantage of
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- because of something you can't help but go through.- Can't control.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Pain relief is our next best friend but a lot of patients
0:11:51 > 0:11:56might not even be able to control the pain with the pain relief.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- Mmm.- Yeah, this definitely, without the side effects.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Well, apps are really the sort of window to technology infrastructure
0:12:28 > 0:12:31or a service that's been delivered.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Don't want to go and spend a bunch of money
0:12:34 > 0:12:36writing code and then design some graphics
0:12:36 > 0:12:38or create a user interface
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and then find out that, actually,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42if you had made some changes earlier on in the process,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44that customers would have liked that more.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47What we tend to do is kind of prototype again and again and again.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49So, rinse and repeat.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The code isn't really the expensive part.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's really sort of things like back-end infrastructure,
0:12:55 > 0:12:56it's how you're storing customer data.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58You know, is it protected?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Are there other kind of
0:13:01 > 0:13:04third-party frameworks that are connected to the app?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07How much research have you done?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And really, what's the cost of running the application
0:13:09 > 0:13:11once it's up and running?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18You know, it might look easy, but presenting can be very tough.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21It can be an exhausting job.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23So we've decided to give Sarah a bit of a rest.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27ALARM CLOCK BEEPS
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I just had a nightmare that I was...
0:13:29 > 0:13:32lying in bed in the middle of Ballymena.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37# ..I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day... #
0:13:40 > 0:13:42OK, it wasn't a nightmare.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44But with the traffic whizzing by,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I have to say the last thing I want to be doing in Ballymena town centre
0:13:48 > 0:13:51is changing a duvet cover in my pyjamas.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54So with the sound of the church choir ringing in my ears,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55I think I need some help.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00So, we're going to see if
0:14:00 > 0:14:03the good people of Ballymena can actually fit a duvet.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05It is a complete nightmare.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07How long will it take them to do it?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Right, the clock's ticking.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10Off you go. No pressure.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- It's easy. - You just put it inside out.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Get the corners.- Job's a good 'un.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Let's see the inside-out technique.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Er, that was pretty quick.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26So, some people find it easier than others,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28but most of us could definitely use
0:14:28 > 0:14:31a helping hand with changing the duvet.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Look at that. Isn't that beautiful?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38I have a gadget at home like that at home, too. It's called a wife.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Surely someone has come up with a way to make scenes like this
0:14:41 > 0:14:43a thing of the past?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It might not be too comfortable.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- There's nothing down here.- Ooh...
0:14:48 > 0:14:53Cue our next inventor, Wilbert Garvin, and his ingenious creation,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55the Duvet Doo.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57# Golden years... #
0:14:57 > 0:14:59And at 79 years of age,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03he's proof that you're never too old to come up with a great idea.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08# Golden years... #
0:15:08 > 0:15:10So, this is all perfectly normal, isn't it, Wilbert?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Me sitting with you on a bed in the middle of Ballymena.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- Indeed!- By the bandstand, busy lunchtime, and me in my pyjamas.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Fascinating.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23The age-old problem of changing duvets - it is a nightmare.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I never get it right.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- Yes.- But you have sought to change
0:15:28 > 0:15:30how we change duvets for ever.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Well, it was such a big problem
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and I think, when you get older, you think of older people,
0:15:37 > 0:15:43you think of people with arthritis and so on and I thought, "Oh, I'll try to come up with something."
0:15:43 > 0:15:49And then I always like to have a wee bit of humour in things,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54so that's how I came up with the idea of calling it the Duvet Doo.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56See, that just reminds me of that song Zou Bisou Bisou.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Is that what you were thinking?
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Scooby-Doo, you know.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04- Oh, Scooby-Doo?- Scooby-Doo came to mind, and then Duvet Doo.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06So, this is it?
0:16:06 > 0:16:08It's kind of a little bit...
0:16:08 > 0:16:12..a huge mousetrap meets a kind of snow ski.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- It's basically a clamp.- Yep.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17A particular type of clamp.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18I want to see how it works.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- Will you show me?- I will indeed. - Brilliant, Wilbert.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So, as the rest of the town go about their daily business,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I'm finally getting around to making my bed.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32This goes down between the mattress and the headboard.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35These clamps hold one end of the duvet in place,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38allowing you to pull the cover on with more ease.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42And then you take the corner of the duvet and push it into the clamp
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and then clamp it nice and tightly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Gradually, pull it down.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And that just keeps it nice and secure at the top?
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Yes.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Right, that was easy.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55That's the way it goes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58And there is...our duvet.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Just like that.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I wonder how long that took.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06So, the Duvet Doo not only helps people with dexterity problems,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09but it makes things a lot quicker for everyone else as well.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And then I began to think about places where
0:17:13 > 0:17:16there are a lot of beds needing changing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17I found out in America
0:17:17 > 0:17:20that they were going to do away in the hotel trade
0:17:20 > 0:17:24with duvets and then when they got the blankets, the clientele...
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Didn't like them.- Didn't like them. - They wanted the comfort again.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- So they're back to the duvets. - Actually, I've noticed that
0:17:29 > 0:17:31when you go in now. It's definitely back to duvets.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Can you imagine how these would change a chambermaid's life,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- going round?- Exactly. - And look at the amount of hotels
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- being built in Northern Ireland at the minute.- That's right.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42So I think there's quite a market there for it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And what do your family think of this?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Because I know you've got kids and you're a grandad as well.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I think they're just waiting to see what's going to happen with it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Is this going to make them millionaires?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Oh, I don't think that's the way they would be thinking.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Honestly, what I wanted to do with this was to help people.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02OK, if I make some money, fair enough,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04but it was really to help people,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08particularly older people that I was thinking about in the first place.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09That's lovely, Wilbert.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13# I've washed my robes in Jesus' blood... #
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Whether you make beds in a hotel or you just want to make your daily
0:18:17 > 0:18:20chores around the home that little bit easier, one day,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24the Duvet Doo could be the solution to one of life's tedious tasks.
0:18:24 > 0:18:31# ..make them white as snow. #
0:18:32 > 0:18:34And for some people...
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Slow and steady wins the race.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39..that day can't come soon enough.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- We're nearly there. - Yeah.- Nearly there.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44What do you think, it's quite a nice cover, isn't it?
0:18:44 > 0:18:45- It is, lovely.- Nice and modern.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- You hold that wee bit.- Oh, helping.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55That's so useful for so many people,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58people who have problems gripping and,
0:18:58 > 0:19:03you know, maybe only have the proper use of one side of their body.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04It's a problem solver, isn't it?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Solving his own problem.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09At first, I was like, before he even tried it, I was thinking, "What?
0:19:09 > 0:19:13"How is this going to work?" And I had this idea in my head he was going to put them on his feet.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15They looked like mini skis.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Yeah, so he can clamp the sheet onto his feet and then pull it up.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I had no idea where it was going to go.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I think it would definitely speed things up, you know,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24if you have an extra pair of hands.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- Yeah.- And anything that lets somebody keep their independence
0:19:27 > 0:19:32or their mobility that bit more, it definitely is a good thing.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38On this programme, we love hearing the stories behind our start-up
0:19:38 > 0:19:40businesses and entrepreneurs,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43but we love celebrating, too, the big best-known businesses
0:19:43 > 0:19:47that Northern Ireland produces, and here's just one of them.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Randox Health is a world leader in health care diagnostics.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54- Hiya.- Would you like to follow me this way?
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The company has a comprehensive full-body health screening package,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02assessing hundreds of unique markers within your body
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and that will give you a full MOT,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07providing you with a better understanding
0:20:07 > 0:20:09of your personal health.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Tests range from iron status to pancreatic health,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17a service that they're currently offering to a staggering
0:20:17 > 0:20:20370 million people worldwide.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24But this global success is in huge contrast to its humble beginnings
0:20:24 > 0:20:26near Crumlin in County Antrim.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29My father and I built a small laboratory
0:20:29 > 0:20:30at the back of my parents' house
0:20:30 > 0:20:33in a place called Randox Road, hence the name of the company,
0:20:33 > 0:20:34and we decided that we would
0:20:34 > 0:20:37make some clinical chemistry diagnostics.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40So I experimented in the evenings and at the weekends
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and it was basically a hen house converted into a laboratory.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It wasn't easy raising finance for a business in the early 1980s
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and Dr Peter Fitzgerald had some tough decisions to make.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55We had to buy a machine called a freeze drier.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58So it was either buy the freeze drier or get married.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01So I decided to buy the freeze drier!
0:21:02 > 0:21:06The company's success is based on its rigorous testing procedures
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and Peter recognised the benefits of these tests
0:21:09 > 0:21:11from his own personal perspective.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I suffer from iron deficiency and B12 deficiency.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18You're disappointed to find it,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21but then it explained why I was starting to feel very tired
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and once I rectified that, very easily,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26you can change and improve your life.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Northern Ireland Olympic 49er Matt McGovern
0:21:32 > 0:21:35had a family history of bowel cancer
0:21:35 > 0:21:39so he decided to take the Randox tests.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Even I felt a little bit apprehensive,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43a little bit nervous, you know,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46it's safe to say, whenever I was going for my Randox test,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48you know, kind of wondering what are they going to find out
0:21:48 > 0:21:49and I got the all-clear
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and "there's a few little things you have to work on"
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but then I can work on that every year for the rest of my life and
0:21:55 > 0:21:57basically keep myself in check.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01From those early days at a hen shed,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05the company now employs over 1,400 people and their ambition
0:22:05 > 0:22:06is as strong as ever.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11The idea is that we would have centres throughout the world.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15We're opening one in Liverpool very shortly and we'll have one in LA
0:22:15 > 0:22:17in the autumn and Dubai
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and we value sort of creativity and problem solving,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23so creativity is vital to everything we do.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33For me, a test of a really good idea is being able to imagine yourself
0:22:33 > 0:22:37actually needing it and actually using it, and that's it.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42This next guy is just 19 years of age and what he has done
0:22:42 > 0:22:48is he's had that idea, he's cut out in his A-level school class
0:22:48 > 0:22:51a prototype and he's making it happen for himself.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Let's have a look.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Our young inventor this week is Daniel Laverty
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and taking inspiration from modern defibrillators,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02he decided to create a first-aid kit
0:23:02 > 0:23:06that guides the user through each step as they treat an injury.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11And yet again, I'm left feeling extremely jealous
0:23:11 > 0:23:14that I didn't come up with the idea first.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I just feel like such an old man now
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and, in my day, I wasn't doing anything like this
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and it's deeply irritating
0:23:20 > 0:23:22that people like you are going to be so successful.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I think it's a brilliant idea, right.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26So let's compare before your product...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- Yeah.- ..to what you've got.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31OK. So here we've got the normal first-aid kit
0:23:31 > 0:23:32that you would see everywhere.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35You would bring this maybe to a football match,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37you see it in the office, in the boot of your car
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and you've got all the essentials in here.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- But what do you do with it? You know, someone's injured.- Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Do you know how to help them? - No, I wouldn't have a notion.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Not a notion.- They're bleeding, you know, you're looking for stuff.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So let's say you dropped here, right, and you've split your head
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and there's blood, so I'd be coming up here
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and looking at this triangular bandage.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- No idea what even it is. - Exactly.- No notion.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59You don't know what you're doing.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02You're in a panic. Even if you were first-aid trained, you still maybe
0:24:02 > 0:24:03don't have the confidence,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- you're thinking, "Was it that or was it this?"- Yeah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07So you've come up with this locker.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Yes.- Class name.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Have you trademarked it yet?
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- In the process.- In the process?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17- Yes.- Which means, if a wee gangster like me gets up there and trademarks it, you'll have to buy it off me?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Aye, I'll be raging. I'll be raging.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- Right.- So here's my solution.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25So here we've got an interface.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28So if I go down to the ground, cut my head, let's say "bleed".
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Bleed, yeah. So the light comes on
0:24:30 > 0:24:32to tell you that's the one you've selected and on the screen there
0:24:32 > 0:24:35you can see the different instructions and it will tell you
0:24:35 > 0:24:37what to use and when to use it and how to use it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40So, all the pressure is taken off you.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I'm so jealous I didn't come up with this.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48With only one in five people in the UK knowing even basic first aid,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Daniel's invention could prove to be the difference
0:24:51 > 0:24:54between life and death if an accident were to occur.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Now, it may still be in the prototype stage,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02but I managed to convince a member of the public to help test it out
0:25:02 > 0:25:03and see if it works.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So if I fell down to the ground, God forbid, split my head open...
0:25:07 > 0:25:08- What's your name?- Thomas.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Thomas, you'd be going, "Nolan, I need to save you."
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- I would indeed.- Would you know what to do with all the stuff in there?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I wouldn't have a clue.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Right, Daniel, tell him.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19You open up the wee doors here
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- and we've got the interface. - This is a prototype.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Instantly, you can see there, "bleeds" -
0:25:23 > 0:25:25he's down on the ground, he's bleeding.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28This will then tell you what to do. Isn't that a cool idea?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- I think it's an excellent idea. - Isn't it?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Right. It's my head. Direct pressure on the wound.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- I'm going to need to use...- Direct pressure on the wound.- Oh, right.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And then use a bandage to stop the bleed.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40- There we go. - Come on, Daniel, I'm bleeding.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- Get that.- I'm bleeding.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44So you've taken pressure off the wound.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Pressure's back.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48What happens next?
0:25:48 > 0:25:50We're raising the bleeding area to stop the blood.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54So it's OK as it is because it's above his heart at the minute.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57And then the next step is to treat for shock
0:25:57 > 0:26:00so you just need to sit down and have the legs raised.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Hold on, keep pressure on the wound.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- Pressure on the wound. - Get his legs raised.- Pressure.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07- Raise the legs.- Raise the legs.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And then get someone to call 999.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- 999, please!- 999!- Help!
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- He's getting into this.- Somebody's going to ring it for real.- I know.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17What would they do if someone actually answered that?
0:26:17 > 0:26:20I doubt I'll be getting a job on Casualty any time soon,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23but Daniel has shown that he's on the right track with
0:26:23 > 0:26:27a great idea that can help people when they need it most.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I think we'd better leave before we get into real trouble here.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- This is just wrong. - And then that's us.- That's us.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38SIREN WAILS
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Maybe if there was, like, a tablet inside it
0:26:47 > 0:26:49that you could pull out and it would,
0:26:49 > 0:26:50it would be your interface then
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and you could bring it beside the patient, you wouldn't have to go back and forward so much.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The good thing is it gives you instructions.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00It's like, don't throw away all your first-aid training kits just yet.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's very essential.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04We should have one in every house.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09But even somebody who is first-aid trained, it does no harm to have
0:27:09 > 0:27:10that little memory jog.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Even if you had some little cartoon character dancing about
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- telling you what to do, kind of thing.- Showing you what to do, yeah.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19You know, the ability to give somebody the right treatment
0:27:19 > 0:27:22they need for a start and save a lot of...
0:27:22 > 0:27:24problems further down the line.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25What a clever idea.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- A good idea.- I think it's one of the best things I've seen
0:27:29 > 0:27:31in terms of helping people.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I don't know about you,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40but when I see some of the people in this series,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44it changes my thinking around how you take an idea from in here
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- and you make it happen.- And that's what we've done in this programme -
0:27:47 > 0:27:50we're seeing inside their heads and we're seeing the whole process
0:27:50 > 0:27:52from the idea to the product.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56It's about confidence, isn't it? And drive and a self-belief.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- Yeah.- Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.- Bye-bye.