Professor Ilanko, a Professor in Civil Engineering, recieved inspiration from Mimosa pudica - the touch-me-not plant - for a new way to improve the earthquake-proofing qualities of structures. Ilanko noted "When I saw the plant sprouting, I bent down to feel it and it collapsed. For me as a structural engineer, I saw a sudden loss of stiffness - something was erect and then it is just collapsing.

Prof. Michael Walmsley, a Chemical Engineer, and his team from Waikato, Auckland and Massey Universities, are seeking to transform the way NZ uses, converts, provisions and stores energy for industry. Their world-leading research, supported by $12.5 million in funding for their 7-year project, will develop new adaptive digital twin technology to accelerate NZ's transition to a net-zero-carbon industrial sector.
Photo credit: Siemens

Canaan, a Masters of Engineering student in robotics, is putting the final touches on his robotic kiwifruit harvesting gripper. Robots have to be careful not to damage the kiwifruit and using an ingenious use of 3D printing, Canaan has developed a gripper with spring like pockets that has solved the problem. He is now a Robotics Engineer at Robotics Plus Ltd.

Isaac, a final year Software Engineering student in the ORCA lab, is developing a door access-control system using a camera and facial recognition technology for Gallagher (who he will join as a new BE(Hons) graduate soon). One of the significant challenges of his project is to predict when an individual's face will change to the point it can't be recognised anymore.

Jon, Jahna and Jake, final year Mechanical Engineering students, are designing devices to harness renewable energy in waves to continue NZ's transition away from fossil fuels. Wave energy is not subject to the seasonal or daily cyclic challenges of solar and wind. Their design challenge is to create a new unidirectional rotating device using mechanical techniques.

Prof. Kim Pickering and Dr John McDonald-Wharry, Materials Engineers, are developing composite materials for 3D and 4D printing with responsive/smart behaviour, made from renewable and biological sources such as cellulose from trees.  Collaborating with materials experts at Scion and Victoria University under a National Science Challenge, they have developed bio-based 3D printing materials with shape memory behaviour.

Teresa Poli, a final year Environmental Engineering student, is incorporating a Māori perspective in road engineering practices. She believes that there needs to be more done to embed a Te Ao approach within engineering projects, particularly infrastructure and roading.