Trevor Baylis Brands
Trevor Baylis OBE was born on 13 May 1937 in Kilburn, north London. He swam for Great Britain at the age of 15 and spent years as a stuntman before achieving global recognition as an inventor!
In 1991 he saw a TV programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa and was struck by the reality that one of the most effective ways to halt the spread of the disease would be by education and information using radio broadcasts. Unfortunately the need for batteries or electricity made radios too expensive or too difficult to access for those most in need of them. Before the programme had finished he had adjourned to his workshop and assembled the first prototype of his most well-known invention, the wind-up radio. The original prototype included a small transistor radio, an electric motor from a toy car, and the clockwork mechanism from a music box. He patented the idea and then tried to get it into production, but was met with rejection from everyone he approached.
The turning point came in 1994 when his prototype was featured on the BBC TV programme Tomorrow's World. The product’s potential was immediately recognised and the following year BayGen Power Industries was set-up in Cape Town, South Africa employing disabled workers to manufacture the Freeplay Wind Up Radio which was awarded the BBC Design Award for Best Product and Best Design.
In 1997, a new generation of radio rolled off the production line in South Africa. Smaller and lighter than the original model, the new radio was designed especially for the Western consumer market and ran for up to an hour after only 20 seconds winding. This radio was updated to include a solar panel which meant that it could run without assistance in sunshine.
The original windup radio pioneered a new eco technology that is as relevant and cutting edge today as it was 16 years ago, as evidenced by the launch of the world's first Eco Media Player which combines the latest media technology with the freedom and energy efficiency of wind-up power.
In 1991 he saw a TV programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa and was struck by the reality that one of the most effective ways to halt the spread of the disease would be by education and information using radio broadcasts. Unfortunately the need for batteries or electricity made radios too expensive or too difficult to access for those most in need of them. Before the programme had finished he had adjourned to his workshop and assembled the first prototype of his most well-known invention, the wind-up radio. The original prototype included a small transistor radio, an electric motor from a toy car, and the clockwork mechanism from a music box. He patented the idea and then tried to get it into production, but was met with rejection from everyone he approached.
The turning point came in 1994 when his prototype was featured on the BBC TV programme Tomorrow's World. The product’s potential was immediately recognised and the following year BayGen Power Industries was set-up in Cape Town, South Africa employing disabled workers to manufacture the Freeplay Wind Up Radio which was awarded the BBC Design Award for Best Product and Best Design.
In 1997, a new generation of radio rolled off the production line in South Africa. Smaller and lighter than the original model, the new radio was designed especially for the Western consumer market and ran for up to an hour after only 20 seconds winding. This radio was updated to include a solar panel which meant that it could run without assistance in sunshine.
The original windup radio pioneered a new eco technology that is as relevant and cutting edge today as it was 16 years ago, as evidenced by the launch of the world's first Eco Media Player which combines the latest media technology with the freedom and energy efficiency of wind-up power.
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