Incubator shaped like egg on show

The incubator can be lowered so the mother can touch her baby

A student has designed an egg-shaped incubator which he claims can help nurture the bonding between mothers and their newborn babies.

Doug Campbell hopes his design will allow parents to get closer to their children when they are hooked up to life-saving equipment in hospital.

The incubator can be lowered and balanced above the mother's lap so she can maintain eye contact with her baby.

He got his idea after a friend's baby spent long periods in an incubator.

Mr Campbell said: "I was inspired to design my incubator in such a way that would allow parents to get close to their newborn babies.

"The incubator can be lowered by means of a gas strut mechanism meaning that a mother can sit in a chair with the incubator balanced just above her lap so that she can touch and maintain eye contact with her baby, forging an important bond."

The design will be on show at the Expressions exhibition at the Bristol Design Festival, which is showcasing the best of university graduate project work.

'Nurturing ability'

Tod Burton, of the Bristol Institute for Technology, said: "Doug Campbell's incubator encapsulates what we try to achieve with our students, instilling and nurturing their ability to produce technologically innovative projects that are of real value to society."

Other designs which will be exhibited include a new facility to test the performance of racing car engines.

Former University of Western England design graduates include James Dunlop who designed the My.Hab cardboard tent after seeing discarded tents at the Glastonbury Festival.

The exhibition can be viewed at the Old Fire Station in Bristol city centre from 13 June.