Belfast innovation designed to reduce the risk of stampedes at music venues and stadiums up for national award

A Belfast innovation that could significantly reduce the risks of stampedes at music venues and stadiums has been shortlisted for a national award.

The Stampede Prevention System has been designed by Queen’s University Belfast student Eray Kayar.

Following multiple examples of event crushes, Eray, 37, developed technology which combines an AI-powered flow monitoring system, a controller and splitter air bags that can be integrated into the floor of venues.

The airbags inflate from their hidden position when the system detects an abnormal situation, allowing for safe evacuation.

And now, Eray and his invention has been selected as a finalist in the Engineers in Business Champion of Champions competition.

Eray said: “The crush of people, even in well-developed cities, cannot be handled using manual control and hard steel barriers. This innovation will automate the flow of people and allow for safe evacuation.”

Eray will pitch his idea against nine other teams of student innovators at the event at the Royal Academy of Engineering on November 3 2023. A sum of £16,000 is up for grabs, providing vital seed money to help the winners develop their innovation.

Winners will also receive mentoring from business leaders who are members of the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from Cambridge University Press and Double your Price, a book by David Falzani MBE, which covers how pricing works with practical insights, tools and actionable guidance.

The event, hosted by TV presenter and engineer Rob Bell, is the culmination of a year of enterprise competitions held across UK universities, with thousands of undergraduate and graduates taking part.

Each year, Engineers in Business Fellowship champions business education for engineers and supports universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering students who develop ideas that can make a positive impact on society.

After taking part in the Queen’s University Belfast enterprise competition and looking ahead to the final, Eray, added: “Taking part in Engineers in Business competition was vital to consolidate technical knowledge and ideas into a successful business. This is a great opportunity to influence more people, spread the idea and gain funding opportunities.”