The LaTrobe University Department of Electronic Engineering awarded six projects designed and developed by final year and Master's students during the 17th Annual Hooper Memorial Student Project Presentations ceremony in Melbourne last month.
The program is named for Daryl Egbert Hooper who, in 1975, was charged with establishing the first engineering department at LaTrobe after being appointed to the Tad Szental Chair in Communication Engineering. Launched in 1992, the program encourages students to design projects from biomedical, communication, electronic systems, optical and green engineering streams. 17th Annual Hooper Memorial Student Project Presentations ceremony
The ceremony was attended by members of the department, area hospital representatives, as well as industry, and it gave the students the opportunity to network with their peers and meet potential employers who might be interested in their work.
Students were given a few minutes to present their projects orally, as well as visually, which, according to Jim Whittington, senior lecturer in the Department of Electronic Engineering at LaTrobe, is important, whether the students are heading into the job market or plan on further study.
"It provides the students a chance to refine their presentation skills and encourages them to have a high-impact summary," Whittington told Electronics News. It also gives them a chance to feedback and network with the industry, he continued, adding that the opportunity for potential employment is there.
"Another benefit of the program, aside from the exposure the students get, is that, with the presence of industry, there might be chances for commercialisation, or at least the spark of interest in it.
"In the past we've had some of the industry people come out and have a look at the student projects and say, 'If you're interested in taking this further, here's my card.'"
The presentations are also beneficial for industry in that they give them an opportunity to see the work that the current crop of students is capable of producing.
"It's important we get feedback from industry as to the quality of our students and the appropriateness of the materials we teach in our courses, and this is one of those sorts of opportunities," Whittington said. "The department views practical work as a very important part of our education program. This is a culmination. It's the best of the best."
Ultimately, the day is a celebration of the students and a confirmation of a job well done.
"It's an opportunity for them to see that not only are they excited, but also that their fellow students and staff are excited about what they've done."
The categories and their winners were:
Weller Tools Prize for PCB Engineering & Construction, sponsored by Cooper Industries (Australia): Daniel Wright (and team) -- Robo Soccer. Project purpose to design and remotely control an autonomous robot in a game of soccer.
Hooper Memorial Prize for the Best Oral Presentation, sponsored by EMCSI: Denton Dang -- Electrode Pre-conditioning. Sought to determine the feasibility of pre-conditioning an electrode interface using electrical stimulation sequences and to investigate the potential of a pre-conditioner below the auditory threshold of the majority of cochlear implant recipients.
Hooper Memorial Prize for the Best Poster, sponsored by Future Fibre Technologies: Michael Dempsey -- Assistive Technology for Children with Disabilities. A cost-effective and reliable means of interaction for children with severe Cerebral Palsy.
IEEE Prize for Technical Innovation and Engineering Achievement, sponsored by the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Victorian Section: Peter Devlin -- Autonomous Quadrotor Helicopter. Built from readily available materials to address flying difficulties.
Soanar Plus Prize for best use of embedded microcontroller, sponsored by Soanar Plus:
Duc Huynh Hau -- Insectabot. A six-legged walking robot capable of two different walking gaits.
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