Prof. Herman Vermaak, Head of the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering and his team, Dr Nicolaas Luwes (supervising lecturer) and students Viann Bresler, Charles Hitchcock, Refiloe Malefane, Viwe Mqaqa, and Luke Rogers entered the cyber Junkyard national competition, an annual electrical design competition presented by Siemens.  

This year’s competition took place from 27-28 October 2014 at the Birchwood Hotel & Conference Centre, Johannesburg.  All traditional Universities, Universities of Technology, and FET colleges were invited to participate and showcase their innovation capabilities. The focus was the ‘Future of Manufacturing’. Previously, Cyber Junkyard participants had to recreate and improve a prototype innovation supplied, but this time around, students could engineer a solution to any industry problem they chose. Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) students designed, developed, and constructed a BETTI (Best Educational Training Tool Innovation) BETTI is an intelligent maintenance or manufacturing assistant. It is an automated mobile toolbox with various functions, which will help the user in the maintenance or manufacturing systems. 

The creation consists of a touch screen HD display, with step-by-step instruction (video tutorials).  Companies can upload video tutorials onto BETTI’s system and tutorials can vary from equipment repair to workshops data update. BETTI consists of a motorised base that can follow a technician around with image processing tracking. The technician could also be able to drive it with a wireless remote control. The in-person tracking mode, can avoid obstacles. With the camera driven tool identification station on top, the robot can identify tools or parts and articulate what it is and how to use it (in her own soothing voice). This can also be used for quality control. The 220v AC inverter point that was added has a plug with AC power and comes in handy for technicians to plug in their appliances even when there is no wall socket. BETTI also has a solar charging station that can power up factory lights if it is not charging the on board batteries. CUT was amongst the top eight selected projects. Other contestants include:

• College of Cape Town  with a coffee bean toaster;
• Durban University of Technology (DUT) with a  automated cocktail machine;
• Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with precision and intelligent farming technology;
• Nortlink College entered a  biogas micro office heating system;
• North-West University submitted a cup cake decorating machine;
• Tshwane University of Technology with a gravity warehousing system; and
• Wits University with an electrical microgrid.

Central University of Technology too third place in this national competition and Siemens products worth R25 000, as well as training worth R7 000 and a Polaroid Induction speaker for each participant. The second place went to DUT and College of Cape Town was the overall winner of the day. 

Images 

BETTI the intelligent maintenance or manufacturing assistant. Team members, Luke Rogers, Charles Hitchcock, Dr Nicolaas Luwes, Senior Lecturer at CUT (team supervisor), Viwe Mqaqa, Refiloe Malefane, and Viann Bresler entered the Cyber Junkyard national competition and took third position.