Flinders University: Design Technology & Innovation

Image of coloured dots

Image by Mike Wilson. Sourced on Unsplash.

Teacher Professional Development Evening

This professional development evening at Flinders University’s Tonsley School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics was very worthwhile attending as it gave hands-on experience in  CAD drawing, laser cutting, wearable technology and fabrication.

The evening featured a guest speaker, Sandy Walker, who explained the design approach at Flinders and the link between designing a solution for a problem, sustainability, innovation and enterprise. Sandy recounted how he designed his Bottle Light invention, starting with drawings, creating a prototype using CAD and 3D printing before getting feedback on his design and moving towards commercialisation.

I was looking at sustainability, safety and cycling and then I started wondering if you could turn a water bottle, which all cyclists carry, into a light source which has a large surface area to increase visibility, particularly from the side view of a bike.

Bottle Light set to transform cycling safety.

I connected with Sandy’s story as it an authentic example of how the various subjects in our Business Enterprise and Innovation faculty all work together.- Design and Technology, Business Enterprise, Information Publishing and Processing and Multi Media.

More inspiration for fabrication and wearable fashion was the display of unique garments created by fashion students at TAFE SA.
This included 3D printed ornaments and buttons and this laser printed leather vest.

Clothes and buttons

A display of unique garments created by fashion students at TAFE SA.

Online resources

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
2 Comments
    • Hi Regina, yes please share. Flinders Uni at Tonsley is an amazing facility and I am planning an excursion and workshop for my Year 9 Design and Technology students.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *