A Glasgow schoolgirl has won a national award for designing a walking aid for her sister with cerebral palsy.
Olivia Thompson, alongside St Bride’s Primary classmates Evie Anderson, Nuala-Maria McKnight, and Ellie Lappin, created the Cloud Walker to support three-year-old Gabriella, who has the lifelong condition - which has impacted her mobility.
The walking aid has an iPad with apps to help youngsters with various tasks.
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The 11-year-old told Glasgow Live: "In class my teacher said we could do an invention for any physical or mental condition so I thought about my wee sister, I just wanted to do it for her. My sister means a lot.
"We invented the Cloud Walker because she uses a walker to help her.
"We upgraded it and added an iPad with different apps on it for diet, exercise and memory. For diet we researched different things that people should eat, the exercise app had things they should and shouldn't do, there were wee pictures on another app to help with memory.
"They said that students might be able to make it but it could take a long time."
The groups invention won the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre’s first ever primary school-level competition.
City of Glasgow College's budding engineers could now create a working prototype, however, the device is still in the design phase.
Olivia was surprised when her group won the award.
The Primary 7 pupil said: "We got a list from our headteacher and she said we were going to an award ceremony.
"Then we got a trophy for our school and a certificate.
"I was really amazed. My mum looked at an email on the school app and it said we were the winners, so I was really, really happy."
Mum, Aileen Thompson, was beaming with pride when she found out the group were working on a project to help her daughter.
The 39-year-old and her husband, Steven, watched on as the girls picked up their prizes at a special awards ceremony.
The mum-of-three said: "It was very much a group effort, they worked really hard on it.
"They had to send a video presentation to the competition, so they took their turns talking.
"They also each had a say in parts of the design as well.
Aileen was left amazed by the amount of effort the girls had put in to the Cloud Walker.
The 39-year-old said: "I was really proud of her because it shows how much she thinks of her younger sister.
"The fact her friends were all onboard and really supportive was amazing because it was to help someone they knew.
"It's not something that parents had any really knowledge of until they actually won and then we got to see the video at the presentation.
"It is definitely the most amazing thing she has done so far. For her and her friends to win a national competition is outstanding."
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