Published on: Thursday, 12 June 2014

2014 Engineers Ireland Innovative Student Finals sponsored by Siemens
Engineers Ireland HQ, Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
6th June  2014
 

First Place and Engineers Ireland Innovative Student Engineer of the Year 2014 (Level 8)

James King - Cork Institute of Technology
Project Title: “Drone Compatible Medical Transportation Pod Design, Development and Testing”

Runner Up Finalists

Oisín Moore - National University of Ireland Galway
Project Title: "Improving Breast Cancer Screening - Design of a Microwave Breast Imaging Prototype"

Niall Ó Murchú - Dublin Institute of Technology
Project Title: "Design and Build of an Electromechanical Test Rig "

Brian Hand - Cork Institute of Technology
Project Title: “An Analysis into Wind Induced loading Effects on a Ship to Shore ( STS ) Crane and Investigation into Design Optimisation”

 

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James King's self-conceived product Medical Transportation Pod - Medi-PodTM - is an aerodynamic self-cooling pod for transporting medical supplies via aerial drone or personal transportation methods.

The project “Drone Compatible Medical Transportation Pod Design, Development and Testing” was initiated as a self-conceived third year group mini-project. The multidisciplinary business and engineering student team comprised  Aoife O’Donovan, Jeremiah Brennan, Michael Aherne, Tim Murphy, Damien Ahern, and of course James King, Design and Innovation Lead, who identified the project need and undertook preliminary feasibility research, design of phase one prototype and commercial assessment work into solutions to transport blood quickly over long distances.

 

Following encouragement from his team mates, James continued the project as his final year mechanical engineering capstone project undertaking major research, analysis, prototype development and experimentation work, including iterative systematic design, concept solid modeling, finite element analysis, fluent analysis, prototype development/manufacture/optimisation and experimental testing/validation.

As part of CIT Innovation Week 2014 activities, James presented his developing project to the Cork Institute of Technology Dragons, for an In-house Dragons Den competition and was awarded first place.

Between the years of 2001-2011, there have been 4,596 combat related fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan. A study* carried out in 2012, stated that 26.3% of these combat deaths were potentially survivable - it was suggested that if the ideal conditions, i.e. if the equipment and expertise were available, these troops would have had a stronger chance of survival and the percentage of combat deaths could have been significantly lowered.

The developing Medi-PodTM device is designed to be attachable to aerial drones - allowing fast and safe transportation of critical medical supplies between medical facilities and over large distances to remote, inaccessible and war torn areas without danger to personnel.

Drone compatibility requirements determined include operation, efficiency, safety, robust external shell, aerodynamic shape, temperature stabilisation at extreme temperature ranges, ease of attachment, low material coefficient of friction, versatility and drone attachment universality.

The design, testing and build of the self-conceived product Medical Transportation Pod - Medi-PodTM - prototype has been comprehensively undertaken. Validation has been achieved by both computer simulations and physical model testing.

*Eastridge, D. B., 2012. Death on the Battlefield, Implications for Prevention Training and Medical Care, s.l.: United States Armed Forces.

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Congratulations to:

Aiden Cawley, Siemens, and Shirley McDonald, Associate Membership Director, Engineers Ireland pictured with Brian Hand, CIT student who has been named runner-up in the 2014 Engineers Ireland Level 8 Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards,  for  his project looking at Analysis into Wind Induced Loading on an STS Crane and investigation into design optimisation.

 

 

 

CIT students Mark O’Flynn, Patrick Walsh, and  Shane O’Gorman who were named runner-up finalists in the 2014 Engineers Ireland Level 7 Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards, sponsored by Siemens, for  their project “Insta-clamp”. The students are pictured here with Aiden Cawley, Siemens, and Shirley McDonald, Associate Membership Director, Engineers Ireland.

 

 

 

CIT student David Coleman was named runner-up finalist in the 2014 Engineers Ireland Level 7 Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards for  his project looking at the automation of the heat exchanger in the brewing process within a micro-brewery. Dave is pictured here with Regina Moran, President of Engineers Ireland and Aiden Cawley, Siemens.

 

 

Photographer: Naoise Culhane