ECE Prizes awarded at Canterbury Westland Schools Science & Technology Fair

This year's Fair was held on 26th and 27th August at the Addington Events Centre and featured over 300 entries from around 400 students. The Department awarded two $250 book prizes (senior & junior), each for a "project which demonstrates the best understanding of physics/engineering principles".  As well as both science and technology categories, the Fair this year featured a new sub-group known as "science-powered", with energy conservation the key theme.

The junior ECE prize was awarded to Grace Thixton (Year 8) from Chisnallwood Intermediate School for her project  "An Insight for the Blind". Grace developed a transmitter and receiver pair, combined with an amplifier and loudspeaker, that allowed the vision impaired to navigate towards a specific location by using their hearing. Grace was motivated by her Grandfather, who has a passion for gardening but very limited vision, to help him find his way (safely) to his vegetable patch. Grace has a desire to study Electrical & Electronic Engineering with us and is clearly well on her way.

The senior ECE prize was awarded to Huba Nagy from Cashmere High School who built his own 3D printer. Huba employed two stepper motors, driven by microprocessors, to firstly calibrate and secondly to deposit substrates to build (layer-by-layer) a 3D object such as figurine or component for a complex piece of equipment. In fact, Huba used his 3D printer to construct parts for his 3D printer itself, i.e., a self-manufacturing machine!

Dr Steve Weddell, assisted by postgraduate student Sudhanshu, performed the judging for the prizes. More details about this year's Science and Technology fair are available at http://www.canterburysciencefair.co.nz.