National Aquatics Centre, Beijing
Courtesy of Arup + PTW
The Freedom Wheelchair
Courtesy of Lu Papi & Associates Pty Ltd
Each year, the Sydney Division of Engineers Australia conducts an awards program to showcase outstanding engineering projects. The projects highlighted here indicate the diversity and quality of the entries in the 2008 Awards and are on display at the Museum for one year from 20 December 2008.
National Aquatics Centre, Beijing
Winner of the Bradfield Award
The JJC Bradfield Award is presented to the overall winner selected from the winners of all categories. It recognises an accomplishment of outstanding engineering merit.
This year’s Bradfield winner is the National Aquatics Centre, Beijing. This is an exceptional feat of engineering and architecture that has taken its place as one of the world’s most iconic and popular structures.
Enclosed within the array of blue bubble Ethylene-tetra-fluoro-ethylene (ETFE) walls are the pools for swimming and diving competitions, along with seating for 17,000 spectators.
The ‘Water Cube’ is essentially a structure made from a network of steel tubes – based on a design using the geometry of foam – and clad with translucent ETFE pillows or bubbles.
PC3 Series Programmable Controller
The PC3 is a world class, innovative design. Known as ‘the configurable single board computer for industrial applications’ it is quite possibly the first of its kind.
The PC3 was created by a small team of design, computer, electronic, and mechanical engineers and it is now a commercially viable product.
Elektron Quattro Computer Controlled Automated Cutter
The Elektron Quattro is an industrial-strength automated cutting system for fabricators working with industrial and recreational textiles. The cutter carries four quick change cam-lock tools, marker and laser pointer holders. It has a number of significant features including:
Dux AiroHeat® Heat Pump Water Heater
This heater utilises solar generated energy in the surrounding air to heat water for domestic use, with low electrical energy consumption.
The Dux AiroHeat is recognised by the federal government as a desired environmental product for the domestic market.
Zipform
Zipform is a reusable system of interlocking hinged prisms which can ‘zip’ objects together to form a solid structure. The structure can later be dismantled for easy storage and transport. The invention offers a potentially huge range of prism and hinge designs (material, size, shape) and functional structures (strength, size and contour).
The Freedom Wheelchair
The Freedom Wheelchair can be used as an everyday chair, a commode chair, a shower chair, and a travelling chair. The wheelchair has been designed specifically to meet the end user’s needs. This required innovative thinking incorporating input from wheelchair users, spinal cord injury specialists, bio-mechanical engineers and other professionals.
The axle-less design called for the use of advanced materials. The chair has been designed for simplicity of manufacture, for assembly by disabled people, and to be sold at a reasonable price. It is ultra light and multifunctional.