IT Sligo Students ‘farm’ their way to Engineers Award

Mechanical Engineering students from IT Sligo have won a prestigious Engineers Ireland Innovation Award for 2016.

Colm Morley, Shane Timoney, Caolan Treanor and Conor Walsh collected the Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award, sponsored by Siemens, and a prize of €2000 for their final year project which they designed to help improve farm safety.

Their project, entitled: ‘Automatically fed post driver’ (pictured below) allows tractor operators to drive posts without having to dismount their tractors, significantly improving the safety and efficiency of the process, and was deemed the best innovation by the Engineers Ireland judging panel.

Previously there had been no post drivers that are able to hold, feed and drive a post without the operator having to dismount the tractor.

A human-powered washing machine, an advanced limb prosthesis, a clean-energy inflatable tower, a flexible robotic arm and a safe-release building hook were among other projects also shortlisted for the final.

The Engineers Ireland Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Award is an annual competition that focuses on showcasing innovation excellence.

Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of IT Sligo, congratulated the students on their success,and paid tribute to the staff of the Institute’s School of Engineering & Design.

“For the past seven years students from IT Sligo’s Level 7 Mechanical Engineering programme have been shortlisted for the final, winning the competition outright on three occasions, in 2010, 2014 and again this year,” he said.

“This is a fantastic achievement and endorsement of the Mechanical Engineering programmes at the Institute and carries on the proud tradition of mechanical design which IT Sligo has forged since its inception.”

Dermot Byrne, Engineers Ireland president, said the innovative skills which engineers possess were becoming increasingly valuable in a world of rapid change.

“Engineering is transforming how people work, live and experience the world  It is imperative Ireland can bring new techniques, processes and skills to all sectors so that we can compete on a global stage with our competitors.  I believe the diversity and creativity of contemporary engineering is very much reflected in this year’s projects.”

About Institute of Technology Sligo (IT Sligo)

IT Sligo is one of Ireland’s most successful third level educational institutions.  A regional leader in education, innovation and economic and social development, we provide courses with the real-world skills that students need to thrive in the modern workplace.   IT Sligo is known for:

• Delivering flexible, practical programmes within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), from higher certificate and degree level courses to taught masters and PhD level, in the classroom and online, with professional accreditation for certain awards.
• Small class sizes, with a low student to staff ratio, meaning students have a better working relationship with their lecturers.
• Partnering with businesses, the community and creative industries across core disciplines of Business and Social Sciences, Engineering and Design and Science to provide students work placements and internships.
• An excellent track record in innovation and research, providing a focal point for local business innovation and development through our Innovation Centre.

IT Sligo Canadian College Transfer Programs Overview

Convert your Canadian Community College Diploma into a Bachelor’s Degree at IT Sligo in Ireland, in as little as just 1 year through KOM Consultants.

IT Sligo offers Canadian College students a broad choice of Bachelor or Honours Bachelor Degree completion opportunities across the Schools of Business & Social Sciences, as well as Engineering and Science. Bachelor Degrees are 3-year programs and Honours Bachelor Degree programs are 4-year programs.

Generally speaking 3 year Canadian College Advanced Diploma graduates can complete an Honours Bachelor Degree with one further year of full-time study, while 2 year Canadian College Diploma graduates can complete either a Bachelor Degree with one further year of full-time study OR an Honours Bachelor Degree with two further years of study. IT Sligo is giving you credit for credit for your college studies. (exception is ECE program – requires full 2 years completion at IT Sligo).

An Honours Bachelor Degree from Ireland is Internationally recognized under the Bologna Agreement and is equivalent to an Honours Bachelor Degree in North America. Both typically take four years to achieve.

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