STEM News

Disability Lifts

Jayden and Tebyan are creating the mobility solutions of the future. Faced with a brief to design and build a commercial wheelchair lift to elevate a person up three stairs, Year 10 Systems Technology students “rose” to the challenge. Jayme and Marcus (also pictured) explained that; “assistive technology is an important area in engineering as it helps provide people who have a disability to live their life to the equivalent of a normal person unaffected by disability.”

It was a challenging project for the students as they had to combine electrical and mechanical systems and had to work from their own design (without a kit). Jayden (on the left) explained that his best advice for Systems students faced with a difficult brief is “never give up”.

Year 9s Doing their bit for Sustainability

Tony in Year 9 Systems took the latest batch of used EDSC Technology department batteries to a battery recycling drop off at his local Officeworks. As a hardworking electronics enthusiast, Tony also cares about the environment and was shocked to learn that “toxic chemicals and metals can leak from batteries when they erode in landfill and contaminate the environment” (SMH, 2011).

With all the hardworking technology students at EDSC we create the odd ‘used battery’ so it’s important we practice what we preach.

“About 345 million hand-held batteries are used each year in Australia, according to Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) research. And only 4 per cent of these are recycled” (SMH, 2011). For a list of battery recycling locations near you:

https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/batteries/ManninghamVIC

Tom Martin

Technology Teacher