The 2016 BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards have put the spotlight on the young engineering innovators of Australia.
On 9 February 2016, the winners were chosen from 26 of Australia’s best and brightest young scientists and inventors.
The BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards program is one of the leading student science and engineering awards in Australia. It has been running since 1981, and provides recognition for young people who have undertaken practical research projects which demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific or engineering procedures.
The awards are a partnership between BHP Billiton, CSIRO and the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA). They are sponsored by BHP Billiton Foundation and managed by CSIRO.
The entrants who made it to the finals in Melbourne were the best performers in their states.
Macinley Butson from The Illawarra Grammar School, NSW, took out the 2016 Student Winner in the Engineering category for her project 'The Solar system.'
Macinley worked with simple and affordable mechanical devices to aid with solar power generation, allowing those in third world communities to get as much power as possible. The invention can increase green energy power generation by over 70 percent per day.
In the process of developing her system, she also discovered a way for the device to produce a clean water supply.
In second place was Samuel Kantor, who developed Eye Connect, a cross-platform computer program to help people with disabilities control their computer.
The origins of this program was a program which used a webcam to recognise faces, and draw moustaches on them. Kantor developed the program while studying an accelerated semester of computer science at the University of NSW.
According to Kantor, assistive technology required for people with disabilities to use their computers is currently very specialised and expensive. In contrast, Eye Connect utilises the minimal hardware - a standard webcam - to allow users to control a computer mouse with just head movements or blinks. With initial trials giving a 99 percent accuracy, the system is suited for the severely disabled.
Kantor plans to freely distribute his product online and extend his program to other home appliances.
CSIRO Chairman David Thodey said the awards showed the inventiveness and excellence of the future scientific and engineering leaders of Australia.
"We have 26 students who have applied their creativity and skills to solve some real problems for Australia and the world," he said.
BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie said, "This year marks the 35th BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards and through the BHP Billiton Foundation we are thrilled to support bright, young future scientists and engineers.
"I'm very proud of what the Awards aim to achieve in encouraging students to explore, research and delight in the study of science, and challenge their understanding of the world around them."
The 2016 program included a new award “Innovator to Market”, which was taken out by Hugh McKay from Rose Bay High School, TAS, for his project 'Possideo Manus'.
Aimed at the physically disabled of third world countries, the project is a cheap prosthetic that allows children amputees to grasp tools and continue working on family farms.
Each individual component of a full hand, wrist, and elbow prosthetic arm were designed and printed using a 3D printer. The mechanics of the hand were created by using recycled DVD and VCR player pieces.