Tomorrow's engineers on display today

Friday, 22 October 2004

Ever wanted to try your hand at playing pool against a robot? What about seeing a mobile robot navigating vineyards? Or even an artificial hand in action? Well, now you can with the University of Adelaide's Mechanical Engineering Project Exhibition.

Fourth year Mechanical Engineering students from the University of Adelaide will be showcasing their talents in a project exhibition TODAY (Friday, October 22).

Mr Antoni Blazewicz, the University staff member coordinating the 2004 projects, says the exhibition gives some of the best young minds in the State the chance to display their initiative not only to the general public but potential employers.

"By displaying these projects in an exhibition like this, the students have the additional benefit of direct contact with industry, providing valuable experience and future contacts," he says.

"Many employers have commented that they see the involvement with the industry sponsored projects equivalent to another 12 months work experience. This gives these students an additional advantage when entering the graduate employment market."

Some of the projects on display include:

• The design and control of an artificial hand, using a pneumatic muscle, which is capable of picking up objects with differing masses.
  
• A mobile robot specially made to navigate vineyards and negotiate dry, muddy, and soft terrain as possibly encountered in vineyards with the capability of avoiding obstacles.
  
• Generation of bone material that is biomechanically realistic and which the material should be the same as normal human bone so that it can be identified within X rays.
  

WHAT: School of Mechanical Engineering Project Exhibition
WHERE: Holden Laboratory, Engineering South Building, University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus
WHEN: 10am-5pm TODAY (Friday, October 22)
COST: FREE

Media and the public are welcome to attend.

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