N E W S 12 October 2017 Great Kiwi Engineering Challenge open for entry $30,000+ cash and prizes and growing The Great Kiwi Engineering Challenge is open for entry now with a huge assortment of cash and prizes growing each day; currently in excess of $30,000. The entry form is on page 5 of this issue of NZ Engineering News. The competition will feature two sections, Professional and Student (tertiary), with all entrants having to do is design and build (engineer) their interpretation of a Kiwi (the bird). “It must fit within one cubed metre,” says Engineering News’ editor Greg Robertson. “The professional category will no doubt pit the top engineering workshops in the country up against each other, so there are also definitely bragging rights up for grabs too. By winning, even getting into the finalist section, you will gain great exposure for your company.” Entries will be accepted by individuals and teams within each category, with Mr Robertson expecting the bulk of entries to be from teams of engineers. “It’s a massive prize. Right now, we have over $25,000 in cash and prizes for the Professional category and over $5,000 for the Students, and the sponsors are still coming on board, so the incentive to win is there, beyond bragging rights.” He says that the competition could be a great stepping stone for students too. “The finalists in this category will get exposure to potential employers. The employers will get a pre-view of their potential through this competition, and their abilities. If you’re a student within the engineering fields and currently at a tertiary institution then you’d be a fool not to enter. This will take you to the industry. “With about a five month build time – by when a video of the final product must be submitted – we’re expecting some sensational Kiwis. Engineering encompasses so many disciplines and the entries will reflect that. Kiwis can be CNC machined, robotic, 3D printed – whatever you like, but they must be innovative and within the size constraint. They could be microscopic or someone may decide to use every millimetre available to them, but thinking outside the box is critical. We want innovation and the two prize winners, one in each category, will reflect that.” Entrants have five months to complete their designs and projects, submit a short video of their finished Kiwi and a panel of judges will then narrow the field down to five finalists per category, with these finalists to be exhibited at EMEX 2018 in early May. “You’ll be able to see the final results at EMEX, in fact, the whole country will,” says Mr Robertson, forecasting that mainstream media channels will undoubtedly be interested in highlighting the Kiwi innovation. Brent Spillane, managing director of XPO Exhibitions is excited at the opportunity this gives to the engineering industry to show their creativity and craft. “Being the nation’s largest gathering of New Zealand’s engineers and manufacturers under one roof, EMEX 2018 is the perfect platform to showcase entrants and finalists of The Great Kiwi Engineering Challenge,” says Mr Spillane. He says that the competition raises the stakes for participants to show off their “innovation and creativity” – concepts that form the backbone of manufacturing in this country. “Creating amazing things with incredible machines, tools and services. EMEX is right behind it – we’ll be encouraging participation across all show PR and media in the leadup to the event. The Professional category is open to all engineering firms and manufacturers with a workshop that deals within engineering fields. The Student section is open to students within engineering fields currently involved in tertiary training. Suppliers to the industry who wish to participate in sponsorship of The Great Kiwi Engineering Challenge should contact NZEN editor/publisher Greg Roberson greg@hayleymedia.com ARANZ leaps to final ARANZ Geo has been named a finalist in four categories of the New Zealand Innovation Awards 2017 for its Leapfrog 3D geological modelling software. ARANZ Geo managing director, Shaun Maloney says, “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and we’ve been growing rapidly around the world as a result. This is a fantastic acknowledgement for our dedicated global team who have embraced this ethos.” ARANZ Geo contributes technology and solutions to enable earth, environmental and energy projects around the world. The company is known worldwide as the developer of the revolutionary Leapfrog 3D geological modelling solutions for the mining, environmental, renewable energy, and other geologically dependant industries. Just a big softie Researchers in Switzerland have produced modular robot that can walk, climb vertical surfaces and even move things around. “One of the key challenges when it comes to soft robotics is not just making the parts themselves soft, but the actuators that control those parts, too,” says a member of the team from Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR). This new type of soft actuator sees each module of the robot consists of three inflatable pillars made from foam and silicone-rubber, sandwiched between small circular panels. All the pillars are controlled by a single vacuum pump, and by inflating some and not others, the module can be made to bend in three directions. The connection of these modules forms a tower, capable of performing tasks. Register your entry now to enter greatkiwi@hayleymedia.com
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