Spending three days of your school holidays at university might not be what your average 13 year old was doing last April, but for Kat Frisby attending the '3D Design Imagination is the Limitation' workshops at the University of Canterbury was an opportunity not to be missed.  

Kat loves Science and Technology, and when asked if she wanted to attend the UC event she never hesitated. Kat was part of a group from Hagley who, along with students and teachers from eight other schools, were given the opportunity to engage in some serious Science and Technology exploration over three jam-packed days.

Each day started with breakfast to get everyone together and talking, and then students were split into groups for the different workshops. First up for Kat was a chance to use MeshMixer – a CAD programme – to design an object which might be found in a polluted underwater environment. Using a 3D scanner to scan an actual rock, Kat then inputted this into MeshMixer and then using the sculpting tool created a plant on top. The designs were then 3D printed.

A chance to experience the UC Virtual and Augmented Reality lab was a highlight for Kat. “It was very cool. I got to rampage around a model of the solar system, picked up planets and threw them, played catch with Pluto – I threw it, then teleported to catch it, but missed occasionally. It landed in the Sun which was out of reach. I found that Saturn was as good as a frisbee when I managed to collide it with Earth!”

A trip across to the Engineering School saw the students building Stirling engines. This task allowed them to understand the principles of how the engines worked; from the expansion of water as it heated, through to the concept of a flywheel operating as a perfect balance due to inertia.

Working in groups of four to build an aircraft was the next task for Kat. Their challenge was to use a large foam sheet, bits of card, scissors, straws, tape and balloon holders to create an aircraft which could land as close as possible to a model burning building and drop a capsule onto the fire. Prizes were given for best range and best accuracy.

On the final day it was back to the Engineering building to experience their laser cutters, mega 3D printer, and electric Formula SAE race cars, then they were off to visit real-life engineers in their workplace where they built tools used to insert 3D printed prosthetics for implants and limb replacements. “This was such a cool thing to see. They had these huge machines. We were able to see the whole process from start to finish – from the design and raw materials right through to the end product.”

While she loved Science and Technology before going to the UC workshops, these three days have opened Kat’s eyes to all the possibilities engineering offers, from the fun of playing in a virtual reality lab to the satisfaction of creating working solutions to real-life problems. Her mind is now firmly made up: “I want to become an engineer. There’s a multitude of options to follow in engineering – it’s VERY COOL!!”