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.

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.

Sara Bahr, a computer scientist, and Ben Lincoln, a chemical engineer, teamed up over the summer to develop self-evolution digital twin technology, aiming to minimise industrial energy use through plant retrofit.

The research is part of Project Ahuora that seeks to transform the way NZ uses, converts, provisions and stores energy for industry.
Photo credit: Stuff

James Brott, a civil engineering student, piloted the restoration project over the summer with the support of the Tokomaru Bay Heritage Trust and Gisborne District Council.

Under the supervision of Professor Mark Dyer and Dr Ray Hudd, James has trialled the application of new self-compacting concrete technology with fibreglass reinforcing as a possible replacement for the existing piles that hold up the wharf.