Voice Activated Desk A Big Winner For Gore Student

Media Release
12 December 2007

Voice Activated Desk A Big Winner For Young Gore Student

Fourteen year old Leighton Terry hopes his voice-activated desk leads to more success after winning a nationwide competition for budding inventors.

The Gore student created his dream piece of furniture after seeing the Criterion Furniture and Warehouse Stationery sponsored ‘Furnish Your Imagination Competition’ on the TV2 Sunday show, ‘Let’s Get Inventin.’

“I was very surprised, I didn’t expect to win at all,” says Leighton.

Named ‘The Workinator,’ Leighton’s new desk invention features a hidden laptop, multi-function printer/scanner, speakers, desk lamp, digital camera and drinks cooler, that all appear at his voice command.

“To activate the desk, you just say ‘Desk On’ and the laptop, speakers and desk lamp rise up from a hidden section at the back of the desk. Then when you say ‘Lamp on’ the desk lamp will turn on, say ‘Drawer open’ and the multi-function printer/scanner will appear,” he says.

He chose blue as the desk colour “because I wanted it to stand out like a high vis jacket - it is no run of the mill desk,” he says.

Criterion New Zealand Marketing Manager Chris Pickering is impressed by the quality of the entries but said Leighton’s detailed and well-planned design is a deserving winner from the 50 entries.

“It is great to see the enthusiastic response from young New Zealanders to design their dream piece of furniture. We are overwhelmed by the imagination and thought behind many of the designs. The entries show there is a lot of talent out there,” he says.

On Friday, just in time for the big presentation on TV2 5pm, Leighton will be receiving a prototype of his design, with all the features, to his home in Gore. Bullet Freight is generously providing the transportation.

Although this was Leighton’s “first serious invention,” he showed promise at just 7 years old, when he went from building with Lego to constructing a chair for his mum from off-cuts of wood.

The St Peters College student, who enjoys highland dancing and playing the bagpipes, will be putting his new ‘Workinator’ desk to good use over the next few years as he follows his dream to become a doctor.

ENDS