A FIFTH form pupil at Kelly College has been voted star pupil for the month of September.

The award was granted by Study Links International, a corporation dedicated to cross country learning through the placement and guardianship of foreign students, in recognition of Lionel Will's work in the application of robotics in medicine.

Lionel, who joined Kelly College in September from Germany, has been developing a robotic arm to enhance the quality of life of patients. The arm is designed to assist the feeding of food, liquid and medicine to patients who lack the use of their limbs.

This technology is often only available to the wealthy — Lionel's dream is to develop a cheap system that can be used for patients, irrespective of their financial limits.

Lionel, along with his partner Julia, a student from Germany, has worked hard over the past six months to complete a functioning prototype robot, so its effectiveness can be measured and improved.