Otago Polytechnic bachelor of information technology
students (from left) Jun Cui, Gareth Dorset and Trevor
Farquharson with the interactive photographic panorama
project which earned them a 100% grade. Photo by Peter
McIntosh.
Two interactive displays, already proving popular with
the public, have earned their student designers top marks.
Third-year Otago Polytechnic bachelor of information
technology students Jun Cui, Trevor Farquharson and Gareth
Dorset learned on Thursday a panel of polytechnic and
industry examiners had awarded their projects 100%.
Their first project is a virtual ant farm designed and built
for the nature galleries at Otago Museum and installed in
June, while the other is an interactive photographic panorama
of central Dunedin which is being trialled at the Otago
Settlers Museum.
The almost 360deg panorama was created by electronically
stitching together more than 31,200 images recorded using an
imported robot camera.
Visitors use a control panel to zoom in on a point of
interest in the panorama before selecting an image and
projecting it on to a photographic gallery wall.
It was the first time a team had earned 100%, head of the
school of information technology Assoc Prof Sam Mann, said.
"I can honestly say, having managed some 300 projects, that I
have never seen a team of the calibre of this group. I have
seen elegant and creative solutions alongside a commitment to
details that I can only hope to duplicate."
For both projects, the students collated the content, created
the computer programmes to run the displays and designed and
built the control panels.
They said they had begun working together last year and
discovered they had complementary skills and interests.
Ms Cui's forte was graphic design, Mr Dorset's was
programming and Mr Farquharson's was construction,
documentation and client liaison.
The students said they were delighted with their mark.
"I think we have earned it. We have put in many hours and a
lot of effort," Ms Cui said.
The students have diverse backgrounds.
Mr Dorset (24) enrolled at polytechnic after discovering a
love for computer programming while at university, while Ms
Cui (23), originally from China, moved to Dunedin two years
ago when her husband found work here.
She had previously completed two years of a computer design
course in Wellington.
Mr Farquharson (44) worked in the construction industry for
many years before deciding to retrain in information
technology.
All said they were now seeking work and hoped their course
results would help.
The virtual ant farm and the cityscape panorama were among
several projects exhibited at an information technology
industry showcase on Thursday.
Other projects included a digital waterfall which allowed
users to control the 250 streams of water to draw images, an
interactive game played using a real guitar, and an
electronic staff training system for the health sector.
Students from many departments including fine arts, fashion
design, product design, communication design, architecture,
horticulture and health are showing their work at end of year
exhibitions between now and the end of November.
allison.rudd@odt.co.nz
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