30 November 2012
BU graduate and inventor Tom Lawton has realised his lifelong dream of appearing on the cover of magazine Develop 3D.
Tom, a BU Product Design and Visualisation graduate, is on the cover of the November issue of the technology magazine, with his invention BubbleScope.
BubbleScope attaches to smartphones and allows users to take a 360 degree image.
Tom, who graduated from BU in 1998, told the magazine that he first began working on the idea in 2001 following a trip to India.
But, he said, funding the project himself meant that every penny he made got ploughed back into his research and development.
"I've had to make a lot of sacrifices over the years – such as selling the car to pay for the prototypes or re–mortgaging the house to pay for ridiculous patent costs."
To help fund the project, he went on Crowdfunder – a fundraising platform for creative projects – and enlisted high-profile testers like Jamie Oliver.
"Jamie now regularly tweets bubbles and puts them on his Instagram feed," Tom said.
The Bubblescope was launched in the summer and has been an instant success.
"In time we'll be everywhere from Apple stores to ASDA," Tom told the magazine, adding that he loved the bubble pictures that people were now sharing.
"Just this morning, I've been excited to take a motorbike ride through Tokyo via a new customer's video bubble.
"I have no idea who he is or how he came across BubbleScope but he's using it to capture and share his world."
But for Tom – who has also launched successful projects including Firewinder, The Original Windlight, and his BU final year project, the WakeYoo alarm clock, which went on to sell 250,000 units – this is just the beginning.
"If you imagine that today I have realised my vision from ten years ago then imagine what we are planning to do in the next few years. It'll blow your mind but my team and I know it can be done," he said.
"It is all about daring to dream and how hard you are prepared to work."
You can read the article here: Develop3d.com.
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