Earlier this month the awards for the SISP NRMA Future of 
Transport Challenge 2019 were presented to students from Mullion Creek Public School.
In partnership with NRMA, the STEM Industry School Partnership Program (SISP) challenged students to create an innovative product or service which addresses a real-world need through human-centred design thinking. The NRMA Challenge is all about investigation, collaboration and entrepreneurship to solve a local transport problem, with a focus in Orange on new transport technologies and how they can improve the delivery of local produce to customers from the Central West.
Almost 400 students participated in the challenge. The first step in the competition process was a 1-day workshop where the students were treated to a presentation from NRMA that demonstrated major transport technology changes from horse and cart to flying cars. Local producers inspired students through presentations about their produce, and how it is currently transported. Students then completed a range of hands on STEM based activities including brainstorming and ideation, testing, prototyping and pitching their ideas and solutions to the transport problem.
Students refined their solutions and their pitch back in the classroom with schools across the Central West nominating the best ideas to take part in the Central West Finals Showcase which was held in Orange in late June.
The winning students pitched The Fruitie Tuties, a solar powered pod machine with magnets, retractable wheels, suction arms, sensors and inbuilt cool room to collect fruit from the trees, a finder drone to transport the fruit to the cool room and a delivery drone to deliver the fruit to customers.
The runner-up prize was awarded to Our New Way, a transport solution consisting of refrigerated magnetic train carriages that use both road and air travel to deliver cheese to customers.
It was clear to see the innovative thinking of some of our regions brightest minds and future leaders.
Thank you to all the students who took part in this exciting challenge, the judges reported that the quality of the entries was very high. Congratulations to the winners and runners-up.
RDA Central West is proud to be an ongoing partner of the SISP program.
