Back pain is a common issue throughout my family and I had already concluded that this was due to bad posture; my father's poor posture while vacuuming, my mother's while gardening, my sister's while standing naturally and my own while playing sport and working at my computer.  If all this back pain can be put down to bad posture, then by finding a solution to this problem I could essentially prevent back pain caused by everyday activity.

The hardest part about developing the project was manufacturing the chain-like structure to not only mould to the shape of the user's spine but to take accurate measurements of the shape as well. The donation of Skins [from Brandex Adventure Sports] and precision stamped aluminium links [from A E Tilley Ltd] made this possible.

I enjoy slaving away in the workshop building robots and have been a Bright Sparks member since 2006. I think the amount of enthusiasm that all members of the club have for electronics and robotics is fantastic and the fact that there's always someone who can help you out with problems you've encountered is also really useful.

Next year I plan to go to the University of Canterbury and study a Bachelor in Engineering - Mechatronics. I hope to end up working in the field of industrial robotics as finding robotic solutions to manufacturing issues has always interested me. Working for MOTOMAN in Sweden, one of the largest robotics companies in the world, would be a huge personal achievement.