2010 Odyssey Design Challenge

The Odyssey Design Challenge  is an engineering design competition open to all engineering students, studying at all universities.  The challenge is focused on participants submitting solutions to real problems faced by communities in need, who do not have the resources to solve themselves. Contestants are provided a design brief along with sufficient material to produce a quality design which could be implemented as a practical solution.

In the past two years, the Odyssey has been based on hypothetical problems inspired by issues facing communities in the Pacific Islands.  This year the focus has shifted to real, local issues, hence the problem for the 2010 Odyssey Design Challenge will be based on addressing issues facing a Rotorua-based community lead by the Waitangi Trust.  The community is centred on the Waitangi Soda Springs, a geothermal-heated hot spring located next to Lake Rotoehu.

The Waitangi Trust aims to develop the springs into a sustainable cultural hub for their people, and a site of learning for visitors. The Trust started working on the site last year, installing a retaining wall around the pools, steps and wheelchair access into the river, and tidying the surrounding wild bush.  However, much still needs to be done to realise the vision of the community, a vision which sees the springs as a vibrant cultural centre with accommodation facilities, a wetlands walkway, and other facilities.

The 2010 Odyssey Challenge invites students to design a solution to the Waitangi Soda Springs’ present and future energy needs. Currently, the site is not connected to the national power grid, and although plans are underway to connect to the grid for immediate power needs, the Trustees would like to develop renewable energy generation for the future.  The site is abundant in natural resources, with geothermal activity, flowing water, and land, which can be explored for energy generation capability. Solutions will be judged on their alignment with the community’s values and objectives, technical performance, and communication of the design.

As the project is real and local, a trip will be organised for all contestants to go down to the Waitangi Soda Springs, talk to the local community, obtain some useful perspective on the project, gain a better understanding of what the issues are, and have a relaxing swim in the hot spring. 

The project will be launched on 21^st April at the EWB assembly held at the University of Auckland.

Click here to apply!