Innovative … Taylors Lakes student Daniel Messina has designed his very own bomb disposal robot. 57426 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Belinda Nolan
While other teenagers are going out on the town or playing the latest computer games, the Taylors Lakes resident spends his free time making his own robots.
The 18-year-old has designed a bomb disposal robot, complete with a functioning camera, colour detectors, metal detector and blue tooth.
The former Catholic Regional College student spent a year developing the technology, as part of a school project, sacrificing his lunchtimes and before and after school to turn his vision into reality.
Now, the teenager’s hard work has paid off with the young engineer nationally recognised for his efforts.
Mr Messina was awarded first place for innovation in the National Electrical and Communications Association’s (NECA) Electrotechnology School Student Awards last month.
His project has also been selected as a finalist in the VCE Top Design awards.
“It was a huge amount of work but at the same time I really enjoyed it,” Mr Messina said.
“I’ve always been interested in robots from watching movies so making my own was the next logical step.”
The teenager admits his family and friends were more than a little excited about his talent.
“During the process everyone was asking me to make the robot do different things.
“My mum wanted me to design a robot to clean the floor and do some ironing and washing but it’s not something I’ve really looked properly at.
“Maybe for my next project.”
NHP engineer Alistair Dwyer, who judged the NECA competition, said Mr Messina’s bomb disposal robot was the most impressive project he had seen.
“His robot looks sturdy and operates well enough to enter the modern day battlefield.”
“It is an outstanding robot and clearly shows how school students are applying knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world situations, however confronting.”
Another Catholic Regional College student, Wayne Rodrigues, was also honoured during the awards, winning second place for his computer controlled milling machine.
