Inventions galore – exhibition to showcase student research projects

From a Boeing Mars rover to a boot-mounted device that monitors kicks for football players, over 140 research projects from the Melbourne School of Engineering’s best and brightest students will be showcased at the Endeavour Engineering & IT Exhibition, Thursday, 19 October.

The annual exhibition showcases innovative engineering and IT projects, designed by final year students, that tackle industry problems, improve processes and aim to make a difference to people’s lives.

With significant commercial applications available, Associate Dean Student Engagement and Endeavour’s Academic Coordinator Andrew Ooi said these projects can go on to have a big impact.

“Engineering and IT is everywhere and the work that our students are doing is for more than just a final grade,” Professor Ooi said.

"Some of these projects will go on to solve various challenges faced around the world such as hospital bed wait times and energy access."

Master of Mechanical Engineering student, Jovan Lazarov, hopes his project will do just that.

Mr Lazarov and fellow students, Qiancheng Wei and Wenqi Cai, have designed and built a medium-altitude hovering drone, powered by a tether from the ground, that aims to provide an alternative to permanent mobile phone towers in rural and remote areas.

“By placing telecommunication equipment on a drone, we could provide periodic internet access that for countries that lack the necessary infrastructure to obtain much-needed internet connections for health, education and small-scale commercial purposes,” Mr Lazarov said.

Other projects on display include:

• Boeing Mars Rover prototype in partnership with Pennsylvania State University students
• Monitoring patient vital signs in hospital general wards to reduce pressure on ICUs. Portable devices to offer continuous monitoring to reduce workload pressure on nurses
• A mobile bridge that the average person can construct by themselves when needed
• Urban heat map for Melbourne - working with the BOM, students are gathering data to map climatic changes over Melbourne and see how buildings and structures protect against weather systems.

WHEN: Thursday 19 October, 10am – 4pm

WHERE: Wilson Hall & South Lawn, University of Melbourne, Wilson Avenue, Parkville. View map

WHO:                      University of Melbourne graduate engineering and IT students 
Professor Andrew Ooi, Associate Dean Student Engagement and Endeavour Academic Coordinator