A 7-year-old British student has seen her ocean-inspired idea move from a child’s drawing towards a real prototype. Lillie’s Puffy Coat was one of four inventions selected from hundreds of entries in the Little Inventors programme, supported by Dogger Bank Wind Farm and South Tyneside Council. Inspired by the way a puffer fish expands when threatened, the jacket is designed to puff up and help its wearer feel safer, braver and more confident. According to Dogger Bank’s report, local businesses are now working with the young inventors to turn their ideas into physical creations.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
7-year-old Lillie turned a puffer fish trick into a jacket
Lillie’s idea began with a piece of inspiration from the ocean. She looked at the puffer fish and its ability to puff itself up, then imagined how a similar idea could be used in clothing.
Her invention, named the Puffy Coat, was designed to expand around the wearer. The purpose was not simply to make an unusual-looking jacket, but to create something that could help a person feel safer and more confident.
The concept stood out among hundreds of ideas submitted to the Little Inventors programme. Four inventions were eventually chosen for development into physical prototypes. Lillie’s Puffy Coat was one of them, alongside Isla’s Crabey 3000, Dexter’s 5G Power Paddle and 11-year-old Oliver’s Magni-Sub.
For a 7-year-old, having an idea selected was only the beginning. The next stage was to work with people who could explore how the drawing might actually become something that could be built.
