Student Aerospace Team rockets to success
A team of 10 UC students are coming back to earth after building and launching a winning rocket 10km into the sky at an international aerospace competition. The student team won their category and placed third overall at the Spaceport America Cup in the USA, which features participants from colleges and universities around the world. The event is the world鈥檚 largest student rocket engineering conference and competition, and this year 5913 participants and 158 teams from 24 countries took part. The UC students were the only New Zealand team competing. To win their category they had to design, build and launch a rocket that reached as close as possible to the target of 30,000 feet (about 10 km). The competition began well ahead of the event because every team had to provide milestones, technical reports, and safety reviews prior to launch. The students designed and built all aspects of the rocket within the tight deadlines of the competition and on top of their academic course work.聽The UC Student Aerospace team members are pictured and included: Alicia Smith, Avalon Beker, Henry Eden-Mann, Reuben Van Dorp, Jacob Saunders, Jack Davies, Pieter Leigh, James Graham, Caleb Melchers and Peter Lee.
Research on International Space Station
A prototype research facility, for studying protein crystal growth, will soon orbit Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The facility has been developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, in collaboration with two local companies and a USA-based research team. The research facility is scheduled to fly on the Axiom Mission 3, the third private astronaut mission to the ISS. By developing a facility that is self-contained, autonomous, and allows for on-orbit analysis of thousands of experimental conditions, Dr Kessans hopes even more research can be conducted at a lower cost into the future. 鈥淲e can do a lot of analysis up in microgravity and can gain a great deal of information from the real-time data that we will be able to downlink during the experimentation on the ISS. But the real value is in being able to get those experiments back to researchers on Earth for further analysis,鈥 says Dr Kessans. 鈥淭his initial project represents just the beginning of what we hope to develop into an entirely new industry in New Zealand at the interface between aerospace and biotechnology, two high-value, rapidly growing, and increasingly important sectors of the economy,鈥 says Dr Kessans.
Forecasting grape growth
New Zealand鈥檚 wine industry is an important and valuable horticulture sector. However, forecasting grape yield is a struggle and inaccurate techniques can be costly, affecting profits.聽Professor Richard Green鈥檚 research team plan to develop a unique approach by finely blending an innovative 3D-imaging-based detection system with a physiological growth prediction model. Professor Green describes it as a complex, interlinked, and challenging measurement and data problem, and says this is the first time it鈥檚 been approached this way.聽鈥淣ow we can scan through the year, which means you can perfectly align it to see how much it鈥檚 grown and changed.聽This will help us forecast yield, and we鈥檒l gain access to data that will help us understand the crop on a whole new level,鈥 says Professor Green.聽He believes this project may go further than forecasting grape yield:聽鈥淲e鈥檒l also accelerate vineyard automation to help to mitigate labour shortages and costs, and better prepare our vineyards for climate change.鈥澛
Maple syrup mission taps into hi-tech imaging
Research is underway investigating whether it鈥檚 viable to produce maple syrup聽at scale within New Zealand, and trial plantations have been established. Professor Matt Watson is leading the research and believes producing maple syrup in New Zealand has commercial potential. His team is exploring whether densely planted trees 鈥 about 10,000 per hectare 鈭 can produce enough sap in moderately cold temperatures to make large-scale production worthwhile. While commercial production is a long way off, it is projected that 2000 hectares of maple trees could generate NZ$60 million a year in maple syrup revenue. In the latest stage of the research, Dr Jamie Robinson, a postdoctoral fellow, is using cutting-edge imaging techniques to study cells and structures inside the stems of a sugar maple tree. His aim is to understand the mechanisms that lead maple trees to produce high volumes of sugar-rich sap.
Taking the guess work out of spinal surgery
Associate Professor Debbie Munro has developed a prototype device and software to reduce the risk in spinal fusion surgery. Spinal infusion is a highly invasive surgery where an implant is placed in the spine to prevent movement between bones, and the treatment has a high failure rate after only five years. Associate Professor Munro developed prototype device which attaches to a rod inserted during a spinal fusion surgery, and also invented a wireless sensor and software that interprets outputs from the gauge, which will help determine the success of the fusion. Once the surgery has been found successful the device would be used to track the patient鈥檚 progress. Associate Professor Munro believes this technology could be used in other parts of the body, such as hip and knee replacements to track degradation. Further testing will occur over the next year with hopes it will be ready for commercial interest in 2024.
Professor Philip Butler honoured
World-renowned UC Physics Professor Philip Butler was聽made a聽Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for services to science, education and health.聽During a stellar 50-year career, spent predominantly at UC, Professor Butler is best known for leading the development of the MARS Bioimaging 3D colour x-ray, a world-first breakthrough in medical technology. Earlier in his career, he led the New Zealand team engaged with ground-breaking particle physics research through the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment. He later co-founded the National Science Technology Roadshow Trust and the Science Alive Charitable Trust in 1991, both promoting learning and careers in science and technology, and helped establish the Tekapo Dark Sky Reserve.
Local talent and technology shines through
Virtual Screen Production (VSP) is being heralded as a revolution聽in the future of film production. Using a curved wall comprised of hundreds of LED panels, VSP allows actors to perform and interact with their surroundings as they would if they were on location. The technology sparked the interest of several Christchurch-based creative organisations, who saw the opportunity to tap into an abundant pool of local talent and technology at UC鈥檚 ground-breaking Digital Screen Campus (DSC). 鈥淲e know good things happen when industry and education come together, so when we were approached about collaborating on this project and contributing a vital funding stream to ensure it could proceed, we couldn鈥檛 say no,鈥 says Petra Westropp, DSC Project Manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great sign of the incredible talent that resides here in Christchurch and New Zealand,鈥 says Petrina D鈥橰ozario, Screen mini传媒NZ Manager.
Medal for quake research
UC鈥檚 Council awarded Professor Misko Cubrinovski with the 2022 UC Research Medal聽for his huge contribution to geotechnical engineering here and internationally, and for his role in the recovery phase after the mini传媒 earthquakes. Professor Cubrinovski played a key leadership role in research and recovery efforts following the earthquakes, including analysis for the mini传媒 Earthquakes Royal Commission, and providing expert opinion and advice to government, regional and professional agencies, and the wider engineering community. 鈥淟ooking back over the past 12 years or so, I am really glad that I was here in Christchurch able to help the community and New Zealand geotechnical profession. All that previous preparation, knowledge and experience suddenly came to fruition,鈥 says Professor Cubrinovski.
Improving clarity of satellite images
Satellites are increasingly being released beyond our atmosphere, but what happens if we lose communication with a satellite and can鈥檛 see it to understand why?聽UC鈥檚 Associate Professor Stephen Weddell is leading a research group聽to significantly improve the image quality of low-Earth orbiting satellites and space debris. 鈥淲e want to minimise these threats and provide accurate information back to people like the European Space Agency and other organisations who are monitoring these satellites,鈥 says Associate Professor Weddell. The team have developed an adaptive optic system for New Zealand鈥檚 largest telescopes at UC鈥檚 Mt. John Observatory and are the first to be able to develop this technique and apply it to satellites. 鈥淭his research is really important as it is providing capability within New Zealand, and an ability to share that information, particularly with our strong collaborations around the world,鈥 says Associate Professor Weddell.聽聽
Finding solutions for the shipping industry
An industry-academia research partnership聽could help offer solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the freight transport industry. UC researchers are collaborating with a New Zealand shipping company on practical pathways to tackle the problems of a sustainable transition to a low emission future. 鈥淭he partnership is important to the University as it provides a degree of data availability which is often difficult to attain due to the commercial sensitivity of freight data,鈥 says UC researcher Dr Patricio Gallardo.
Famous UC graduate Ernest Rutherford turns 150
UC commemorated 150 years since the birth of one of its most famous scientists, academics and alumni.聽Ernest Rutherford was one of New Zealand鈥檚 most successful and respected scientists. Rutherford was awarded the 1908 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances. It鈥檚 thanks to the scientific discoveries made by Rutherford and his peers that television, radio, sonar and telephones were invented. Among the treasures UC holds in its archives are Rutherford鈥檚 large medal collection, the original declaration of students signed by Rutherford on his entry to the University, a large collection of original and secondary source material relating to Rutherford, including 26 academic diplomas, scientific papers, a short film and sound recordings, and replicas of his Nobel Prize. We have two replica sets of Rutherford鈥檚 original Nobel medal: one set is on display in the Ernest Rutherford Building, located on our Ilam Campus.
Mayor takes a virtual tour
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel learned about aerial firefighting and聽toured a virtual reality hospital during a hands-on visit to UC鈥檚 Ilam campus. The Mayor was shown around the Human Interface Technology Lab New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ). The HIT Lab NZ focuses on using new and emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and applied immersive game design, to solve real-world problems. During the tour Mayor Dalziel tried out a VR training tool for aerial firefighters developed by UC postdoctoral research fellow Rory Clifford and tested a VR game where the user can move around a virtual hospital completing a series of tasks to review the building layout and design. The hospital design project is the work of UC Master of Human Interface Technology student Emma Buchanan, who has a background in architecture and healthcare design.
ThincLab mini传媒
ThincLab mini传媒聽sits alongside UC鈥檚 Centre for Entrepreneurship and is mini传媒鈥檚 best connected incubator for growing hi-tech, or research and based companies with global aspirations. ThincLab is the only Founder Incubator located within a New Zealand university setting. You don鈥檛 need to have a connection to UC to be involved. ThincLab provides capability building for founders and their teams, connection to industry experts
and agencies, and international pathways to growth and investment.
Students share knowledge with local businesses
The Global Virtual Micro-Internship programme, a new partnership scheme, was launched by our Business School. Under the programme, international students studying Business will be matched with local mini传媒 businesses keen to expand into Asia.
The aim is to help the students gain real-world experience and enable businesses to benefit from the students鈥 unique expertise. Business School Executive Dean Paul Ballantine says UC has a talented group of international students, the vast majority from Asia, who are eager to gain practical work experience: 鈥淎longside the business skills they develop as part of their studies with us, these students bring with them a wealth of linguistic and cultural knowledge and skills that will be of immense value to any business looking to expand overseas.鈥
Bringing AR to smartphones
The need for social connection became clearer than ever as people locked down around the globe. UC student David Huang realised there was an appetite for a fresh way of connecting with family and friends.聽Oasis AR uses true augmented reality (AR)聽on a smartphone to create the sensation of having friends close by in the room, even when they鈥檙e far away. Socialising with 3D avatars in games isn鈥檛 particularly new, David says, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 new is making the use of AR accessible to everyone with a smart phone, and that鈥檚 what Oasis AR does. Although we couldn鈥檛 cure the pandemic, our hope was that we could create something using AR to help people feel like they鈥檙e in the same room with their friends and family. It鈥檚 currently the closest thing possible to replicate real-life interaction in an accessible way.鈥 David will be within the first cohort of students to graduate with the conjoint Bachelor of Product Design (Immersive Game Design) and Commerce (Finance) degrees, graduating in 2022. He plans to get involved with
ThincLab next year to continue working on the app full-time.
Student Entrepreneurs聽Pitch Their Big Ideas
Hosted by our Centre for聽Entrepreneurship (UCE),聽UC鈥檚 students聽pitched their business ideas live on聽stage during a Dragons鈥 Den-style聽competition held in early January聽2020. UCE programmes empower students to make a real difference. The聽students鈥 ventures included promoting聽a compostable kelp-based plastic聽alternative, a social enterprise that聽provides affordable ball dresses for聽high school students, a technology to聽recover zinc from industrial waste, and a company that provides data services聽for the blockchain industry. UCE former聽Director, Rachel Wright, explains: 鈥淭his is聽a fantastic opportunity for UC students聽to develop their creative business and聽social enterprise ideas and make a聽positive difference in the world. The聽showcase is also a chance for people聽in the community to come along and聽discover what the next generation of聽entrepreneurs in our city are up to.鈥
QuakeCoRE
Advancing earthquake disaster resilience聽is at the forefront of research and outreach聽activities of聽,聽a national research centre hosted at UC.聽Research projects include advancing聽understanding and modelling of individual聽earthquake-induced geohazards (including聽ground motions, liquefaction, and slope instability); the behaviour of structures and聽infrastructure in the built environment; law,聽planning and economics; understanding聽critical cultural and social factors of New聽Zealand people, and the role of M膩tauranga聽M膩ori (M膩ori knowledge). In 2020, the聽Government awarded a second tranche of funding over seven years for UC to continue聽hosting the research centre. Deputy聽Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Ian聽Wright says, 鈥淭his next phase will provide significant advancement and application聽of new smart technologies to earthquake聽engineering, and the social and economic mitigation of future earthquake impacts.鈥
Breakthrough in Recycling聽Acid Waste
Zincovery聽is the brainchild of UC鈥檚聽Associate Professor Aaron Marshall and聽research student Jonathan Ring. Their聽new low-cost industrial prototype will聽be capable of recycling 15 per cent of the聽acid waste produced by Christchurch鈥檚聽galvanised steel industry. Until now,聽there have been few affordable recycling options for the galvanised steel聽industry as the existing technologies聽are expensive and recovering zinc has聽simply not been economic. Zincovery鈥檚 ambition is to expand into international聽markets, which could direct significant聽financial returns back to New Zealand.聽Jonathan is working on the business聽side of Zincovery with UC鈥檚 Centre for聽Entrepreneurship, to fast-track the聽commercial enterprise.
Talking 鈥楬idden Energy鈥櫬燼t Parliament
As part of the Speakers Science Forum聽2020, UC cutting-edge research was聽presented to MPs and decision-makers,聽to inform the issues being addressed in Parliament.聽UC Engineering academic Dr聽Matthew Cowan鈥檚 presentation focused聽on his research, improving the methods聽and technologies used to purify all the聽building blocks of society. 鈥淭he kai we聽eat was separated from the earth, the聽water we drink was purified of bacteria, and our cutlery was shaped from metal聽refined from ore. Amazing amounts聽of energy are hidden in the objects all聽around us,鈥 he says. Dr Cowan鈥檚 goal is聽to reduce the amount of energy we need聽to use every day to slow climate change聽and enrich lives.
UC Graduate Taking on the World
Charlie Kavanagh graduated from UC聽in 2020聽with a Bachelor of Commerce聽double major in Information Systems and聽Management and a minor in German. Charlie says the entrepreneurship scene聽at UC is unparalleled.聽
鈥淚 started three businesses since coming聽to UC,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have been聽able to achieve any of these if it wasn鈥檛聽for the staff and resources at UCE (UC Centre for Entrepreneurship). I鈥檓 a business-minded person, and UC has given me access to a ton of resources. The entrepreneurship scene here is聽unparalleled. I would highly recommend聽UC to anyone who鈥檚 passionate about聽start-ups. You鈥檒l learn heaps of great聽skills, meet inspiring people and maybe聽even graduate with your own business鈥β爋r three!鈥
