element14 help Team Mechfly achieve success at the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition
Mechanical Engineering students from the National University of Singapore win the Championship Prize for “Unconventional Design”
element14 have helped a group of Mechanical Engineering students from the National University of Singapore to win the Championship Prize for “Unconventional Design” at the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition - netting a cash prize of $3,500 for the NUS Department of Mechanical Engineering.
element14 provided essential components and tools for the team to develop a lightweight Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) to compete in the Singapore Competition. This included soldering equipment, cutting devices and components from brands such as MultiComp, Duratool and Tenma. The completed ‘Mechfly’ weighed in at just 29 grams and utilized a flapping wing mechanism to fly with enough control and stability to successfully complete a mission scenario demonstration which included navigating several obstacles, collecting a spilled chemical sample using an attached cotton bud and releasing a neutralizing agent using a mounted needle and some balloons.
The team is now planning to conduct a two day workshop at the Faculty of Engineering in collaboration with the NUS Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) Team, where they hope to raise further interest in flight vehicles among NUS Engineers. They will also continue to work on improving the performance of the Mechfly by employing further weight-reducing techniques and attempting to reduce the size of the platform.
Ravi Pager, Sales Director for ASEAN at element14 said: “As the Development Distributor, we are committed to helping develop the next generation of engineers – they are our future too. This is a great example of how we support students on their journey and help them inspire others to investigate the opportunities available to them in a career in engineering. The ‘Mechfly’ and Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition show the possibilities of engineering in action and I am delighted that we were able to support the team in achieving this success.”
"We are thankful that Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles and the ingenuity of their flight mechanism have received more recognition by defense officials and the general public over the years" said team leader Glenvicia Sim Hui Xian. "This would not have been possible without the resources of the NUS Mechanical Engineering department and the generous support of our sponsors like element14. We hope they continue to be involved in this project for years to come."
You can find out more by visiting the element14 community STEM academy: https://www.element14.com/community/community/stem-academy/blog/2018/04/10/team-mechflys-unconventional-mav-design-wins-big-at-singapore-amazing-flying-machine-competition
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