From daily frustrations to national recognition: Young inventor’s ‘nido’ wins the James Dyson Award by empowering patients with diabetes

• Zoey Chan Zheng Qi, an Industrial Design graduate from the National University of Singapore, has been recognised as the National Winner of the 20th edition of the James Dyson Award and will be receiving S$8,400 to further develop her invention, nido.
• National Runners-up of this year’s Award include Chhavi, a self-diagnostic kit designed to make cervical cancer screening more accessible for women in rural areas, and Noda, an innovative joint system designed to enable the rapid assembly of emergency structures for displaced families.
• All three inventions will progress to the international stage of the James Dyson Award, for a chance to be selected by James Dyson as a Global Winner, and receive S$50,700.

For the millions living with diabetes – including over 600,000¹ in Singapore managing this condition – daily routines may include injecting insulin multiple times a day, often in rushed or public environments. Many fumble through bags for sharp components, risking accidental pricks. Especially in countries like Singapore, where ‘sharps’ bins are not widely available in public areas, people with diabetes have to hold on to their used needles to make sure they are disposed of safely. The process brings not just physical inconvenience, but also feelings of anxiety and stress.

Zoey, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 20, felt that these challenges were deeply personal: “Injecting insulin multiple times a day in public was awkward, messy and isolating. I realised that the tools we were given to manage these daily injections were not really designed for us. So, I decided to develop a product to reclaim control in my own life, and redesign my daily routine.”

Having studied Industrial Design at the National University of Singapore, Zoey combined her expertise with her passion for finding a solution to make the lives of patients with diabetes more manageable. After researching the problem, conducting numerous user trials, and designing over 100 prototypes, Zoey created nido.

An acronym for ‘neat insulin daily organiser’, nido is a compact, portable holder that safely stores, ejects, and organises insulin needles, designed to transform the daily injection process for people with Type 1 diabetes. The device securely holds up to four needles, catering to the number of insulin injections daily, with ridges that adapt to needles of different brands and sizes.

A tapered slot at the front of the case helps users to safely remove the protective needle cap without dropping the needle or pricking their fingers. nido also contains a slot for used parts and other waste to be disposed. The clamp-like design of the holder allows disposal of all needles and waste to be done in a simple, one-handed motion – safe and fuss-free.

“For countless people managing diabetes, daily insulin injections can bring anxiety, pain, and stigma. An intuitive tool like nido has the potential to improve not only clinical safety but the emotional well-being of those living with this condition, easing the burden of self-care and empowering independence,” says Associate Professor Au Wing LokCEO of Singapore's National Neuroscience Institute, and judge for the James Dyson Award 2025. ,

nido takes home S$8,400 from the James Dyson Award national prize, to support its next steps in development. Inventor Zoey hopes to make nido commercially available, while keeping it affordable and accessible to all.

Eddy Teo, Senior Engineering Manager at Dyson and judge for this year’s Award, added: , “The James Dyson Award is about celebrating the courage and creativity of young inventors in Singapore. Innovations like nido exemplify why we must keep encouraging STEM in our youth – not only to solve technical problems through intelligent design, but to improve lives and build a more compassionate world for everyone.”

All three inventions will progress to the next stage of the James Dyson Award, with the international Top 20 shortlist to be announced on 15th October, selected by a global team of Dyson engineers, and the global winners on 5th November, chosen by James Dyson.

James Dyson Award

The James Dyson Award is an international design competition which inspires and celebrates the next generation of design engineers. Now in its 20th year, the Award has supported more than 400 problem-solving inventions with over S$1.6m in prize money. It operates across 28 countries and regions and is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Sir James Dyson’s engineering-education charity.

¹International Diabetes Federation: https://idf.org/our-network/regions-and-members/western-pacific/members/singapore/

²World Cancer Research Fund: https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/cervical-cancer-statistics/#cervical-cancer-deaths