SEAT News

Te Radar looks at oil alternatives like alligator fat, and finds out how a mix of sunlight and old kiwifruit can juice up a car, our very own Prof Yusuf Chisti can be viewed 15.03s into the video clip

Nitrous oxide emissions threaten algae's environmental credentials.It thrives in fresh, brackish or salty water in places too hot, dry or infertile for other forms of agriculture. It grows many times faster than conventional crops, consuming quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) as it does so.

A Palmerston North couple have made the largest donation recieved by Massey University, destined to be used as scholarships to aid budding technology talent.

A BRANZ scholarship helped Massey University researcher Mikael Boulic complete a study into healthy homes. Now he's turned his attention to our schools.

A major publication outlining the innovations in information and communications technology being utlised at the London Olympics has been overseen by a chartered professional engineer from Massey University

Cooking with twigs over a small solar-powered stove may seem a far cry from the daily life of the average engineering student in New Zealand

An Onehunga High School team of three students who are robot designers, engineers and programmers has won the VEX High School World Robotics Champions title for the first time after four years of trying and amassing 11 other titles on the way.

The dairy industry has been integral to New Zealand since 1814, when missionary Samuel Marsden imported the first pair of heifers. Dairy exports began in 1846, and in 1882 the first refrigerated butter shipment travelled from Dunedin to London.

Katherine Holt has seen a lot of pollen. During the four years of her PhD investigating past patterns of vegetation in the Chatham Islands, many thousands of grains passed under the lens of her microscope, each one painstakingly magnified, identified and tallied

A Massey University energy expert says proposed local government reforms would be a step backwards for sustainabliity.

My prediction is that in five years most new residential water heating systems will use a heat pump with carbon dioxide as the refrigerant.

New Zealand robotics teams mentored by Massey University engineers have won the VEX Robotics Wold Championships in the United States for the fourth time running.

A new manufacturing technology that some commentators believe willchange the world is now entering the main stream.

Massey University's Professor Don Cleland has been awarded the Furkert Award for excellence in sustainability and clean .....

Are you getting older? Yup me too. For some of us, it's the body that lets us down

The rugby robot that nearly bested ex-All Black Andrew Merhtens in Auckland last year is kicking back in Taranaki at the moment.

Jarrod Burton is developing an invention he thinks could help save lives the next time New Zealand faces a natural disaster.

Two final year students were awarded the inaugural award for Excellence in Mechanigal Engineering Technology ....

A Massey University professor has been awarded $745,000 from the Marsden Fund to research how algae might remove phosphorus from effluent.

Former All Blacks ace Andrew Mehrtens proved he was a goal kicking machine today.

Two Massey University students have won the supreme award in this year's Great New Zealand Remix and Mashup competition

If Dan Carter wants to brush up on his drop kicks ahead of the Rugby World Cup knockout stages, Woderwick the robot is ready to give him a few pointers

Installing artificial intelligence in houses will be trialled by a Massey University academic to support older people living alone.

Professor Hans Guesgen has been made a senior member of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Former All Black first-five Andrew Mehrtens will strap on his kicking boots again in October to attempt to outkick a trio of robots - or more accurately, robotic legs.

Passionate young project manager Stephen Kleehammer hs shown dediction to his profession during the 18 years of experience he has had ing the industry around the world.

A research programme to help New Zealand business perform better is at the heart of Massey University's newest initiative - hosting and innovator-in-residence.

A team of Massey University engineering students is building software for New Zealand's firt spacecraft, which could pave the way for a new generation of .......

Three robots will test the boot of former All Black Andrew Mehrtens in a man versus machine goal-kicking challenge during the Rugby World Cup.

Winning first place in the Innovate Manawatu Awards was the easy part for the trio of Massey University students who have set up a new company.

Build it and break it. Normally that would break your heart, but the breaking part is the point of the project.

A research programme to help New Zealand business perform better is at the heart of Massey Univeristy's newest initiative - hosting an Innovator-in-Residence.

Approximately 800 participants from all over the world gathered at the Athens Hilton Hotel for the congress. New Zealand was well represented by a fourteen strong contingent with eight from Massey Univesity, ....

Dr Jen-Yuan (James) Change, faculty of School of Engineering and Advanced Technology has been awarded the Outstanding Contributions Award by Information Storage and Processing Systems Divisions of American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Of the 10 finalists in Palmerston North's Bio Commerce Centre "Innovate" contest, four were from the agricultural sector, but that was no surpise to centre business growth manager Warren Bebb.

Congratulations to School of Engineering and Advanced Technology Senior Lecturer Dr Eva Heinrich who was New Zealand's entry in the Innovation Adoption Learning ....

Shannon Swan is very enthusiastic about her role and Involvement with Fonterra.

We have been delighted to learn that the IEEE New Zealand Central Section now has a new IEEE Fellow: Associate Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay.

A Life-sized rugby robot with kicking abilities to rival humans is under development - but the Crusaders aren't planning to replace Dan Carter with Robo-Dan any time soon.

Budding North Shore engineers have proved to the world they are hard to beat in the battle of the robotics.

With a population of only four million people, 40 million sheep, and a gross domestic product (GDP) the size of a large American corporation, New Zealand....

Winning the Build Award at the recent Vex Robotics Championships in Auckland brought big smiles to the faces of the Katikati College team.

It may not make you coffee, but a "wearable" robot being developed in New Zealand will at least help you hold the cup.

Their robot might not be able to make the bed or fold the washing, but leave any rubber rings around, and it will clean them up like a world champ.

After months of building, training and competition, 10 teams have been chosen to represent New Zealand and defend its world title at next month's Vex Robotics world championships at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

School of Engineering and Advanced Technology head Professor Don Cleland has been awarded the J and E Hall gold medal by the British Institute of Refrigeration

It may not make you coffee, but a "wearable" robot being developed in New Zealand will at least help you hold the cup.

Manawatu researchers are working on a wonder product that has potential to boost soil nutrients and fight against global warming.

Advanced technology that can help the aged and the continued development of medical robots are issues that will be explored in workshops being hosted at the Wellington campus next week.

Engineering students are forgoing sun, sand and sea to run a robotics programme for youngsters this summer at the Albany campus.

The first "boot camp" was run in July 2008 and attracted 30 teams. Since then interest has risen steadily with the organisers expecting around 100 teams to be competing next year.

Robotics are catching on in colleges around the country with Whangaparoa College the first in the northern area taking part in upper North Island VEX Robotics Round Up competitions.

With only three sleeps until Christmas and a million things left for most people to organise, it's easy to opt for convenience and just pay a little extra for those presents, Christmas trees and food.

From humble beginnings running tractors and cars on vegetable oil, to being part of a Nobel Peace Prize-Winning climate change team, Professor Ralph Sims has another accolade to add to his long list of lifetime achievements.

A world-renowned energy researcher and educator was presented with an Outsanding Contribution award by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Association on Friday night.

New Zealand generates several million tonnes of bio-waste each year from forests, orchards, farms and refuse stations.

Meccano on steroids, mental rugby - Vex Robotics international games have been described as both.

It looks like a head-on smash between tipped-over Mechano sets and an electronics bench.

Robots are a fun way to teach hard sciences - maths, physics, engineering and computer programming.

All eyes may be on the closing of the Commonwealth Games today, but yesterday Massey University's Palmerston North Campus was abuzz with excitement over the annual Robot Olympics.

It's vacuuming, but not as we know it.

Charcoal's changing use over time is the subject of the first talk in this year's series of public lectures at the Wellington campus next Thursday

Each year the local kiwifruit industry becomes more technology-focused as it seeks more efficiency - in growing, harvesting, packagine and exporting - to maintain its positions as a world leader.

Michelle Hutton feels a zing of pride and secret thrill to which not many can lay claim when she passes the canned soup aisle at the supermarket.

Congratulations to Mr. Hamid Memarbashi (PhD student in Mechatronics, Albany) and Mr. Riichi Nagao (Master student in Mechatronics, Albany) for receiving Conference Scholarship Award at the 20th American Society of Mechanical Engineers Annual Conference on Information Storage and Processing Systems (aka ASME ISPS) held in Santa Clara (Silicon Valley), California, United States of America from June 14 to June 15, 2010.

SEAT PhD student Jurgen (Phil) Wagner has been awarded the runner-up prize for the inaugural Harry Boer Best Student Paper Award at the European Operations Management Association (EUROMA) conference in Porto, Portugal.

Six staff this week received Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Two former Massey students are growing their electronics engineering consultancy. As featured in Manawatu Standard, 2nd June.

Palmerston North's world women's taekwon-do special technique champion Nikki Galpin has graduated from an aeronautical engineering course. As featured in Manawatu Standard, 22nd May.

An environmentalist and engineering student has taken the helm of Massey University Students' Assocciation (Musa). As featured in Manawatu Standard, 21st May.

Higher learning curve offered. Flight simulators, ice cream and vocal cords were all on show at Tertiary Discovery Day. As featured in Manawatu Standard, 29th April.

The inventor of an automated kiwifruit picking machine, Dr Rory Flemmer was named engineering innovator of the year at the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards in Wellington. As featured in Food Industry Week, 7th December.

Budding scientists at Albany Primary School got some quality time with children's science show host and internationally-acclaimed scientist Chris Chitty. As featured in North Shore Times, 22nd September.

Getting hold of someone distant from us is these days just a matter of pushing some buttons on a phone, but it wasn't always that way. As featured in Hutt News, 22nd September.

A LACK of qualified engineers could hinder New Zealand's emergence from the recession, says the head of the Massey University School of Engineering and Advanced Technology. Professor Don Cleland. As featured in NZ Tenders Gazette, 16th September.

Massey University's micro brewery has now been in operation for just over 12 months and provided an ideal teaching facility for process engineering and food technology students. As featured in Straight Furrow, 25th August.

When Palmerston North's Jonny McClean performs in Napier this month, he may well be rocking out with a green bucket on his head. The saxophone player is touring with Tahuna Breaks, the eight-piece dub and reggae band he's been part of since 2007. With a new album released this week and tour dates lined up across New Zealand and Australia, Mr McClean could be set for the big time but he's not one to forget his roots. Featured in the Manawatu Standard, 14th August.

Prime Minister John Key and Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey taste a Dunkelweizen beer at the university's micro brewery yesterday. As seen in New Zealand Herald, 14th August.

Rapid racy robot manouvers won the day for a team of Massey student engineers who took the top title in the university category at the Vex Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas in April this year. As seen in the Petone Herald, 12th August.

A special brew has been cooked up for Prime Minister John Key when he visits Palmerston North tomorrow for the Food Innovation New Zealand (Finz) launch. Fourth-year Massey food technology student Michael Farrugia has been working on a dunkelweisen beer at the microbrewery in the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health.. As seen in NZPA Newswire, 12th August.

Diverse, compelling speakers including international economics commentator Professor Jane Kelsey, financial expert Bernard Hickey and leader Sir Paul Reeves are ensuring Massey University Albany's 2009 Chancellors Lecture Series this semester is more popular than ever. As seen in North Harbour News, 7th August.

Massey University engineering student John Manzano is not planning to take up a shearing career. His "sheep" which created considerable interest at the Tauranga Careers Expo is actually part of a computer programming exercise. Hitting the same barcode with the reader "handpiece" twice incurs a penalty represented as having cut the sheeps skin. As seen in Bay News, 29th July.

This is the institutes most prestigious award; presented annuually in memory of Massey University's first Chancellor, Dr John Clark Andrews, who proposed a food technology degree course be established at Massey University. In 2009 the award was presented to Dr Andrew Cleland FIPENZ, FRSNZ, FNZIFST, FIAFOST, Honorary Professor of Food Engineering, Massey University. Dr Cleland's address, delivered on 25 June at the NZIFST Conference in Christchurch follows. As seen in Food New Zealand, 1st July.

The scooter-mounted glass vacuum cleaner and its upgrade to an electric three-wheel ride-on go on hold in September when designer Kent Gearry heads to City University in the United Kingdom on a five-month scholarship. As seen in the Manawatu Standard, 15th July.

A supercar as dreamed up about seven years ago has been taken back to Massey University's Albany campus whose students played a big part in the project. As seen in the North Shore Times, 14th July.

AN ENTERPRISING team of pupils from Wellington College are getting real-life business experience, with the launch of their new tool for skateboarders. Year 13 pupils Sam Pan, Robert Sangalli and Tim Wagner, all aged 17, are three members of the Young Enterprise Scheme company Quality Skate Products, which won the Wellington regional competition this month. As seen in the Dominion Post, 19th June.

A unique collaboration at the end of the electricity supply line in Tararua could change the way remote New Zealand communities get their power. Three farming families living in the Totara Valley, about 20km from Woodville, are using several energy technologies installed by Massey University and Industrial Research Limited (IRL) to produce electricity that supplements the existing network supply. As seen in the Dannevirke Evening News, 11th June.

The clock is ticking as three schools take on the Young Enterprise challenge. Nga Tawa School for Girls in Marton, Wanganui High School and Wanganui Collegiate are all at the drawing board as they decide on a business product, says Youth Enterprise Trust regional co-ordinator Mike Clark. As seen in Wanganui Chronicle, 19th May.

The New Zealand Ice Cream Awards which were instituted in 1997 are being held again this year. The specihc objective of the Awards is the raising of standards and promoting the quality of New Zealand ice cream. The results will be announced at the New Zealand Ice Manufacturers' Association annual conference in Palmerston North on Thursday May 28. As seen in Food to go magazine, 30th June.

Broken glass on the road can be the blight of the motorist’s life, not to mention the punctures that follow. But now, one Massey University student thinks he and his fellow cycle enthusiasts have come up with a cheap effective solution - a motor scooter with a vacuum cleaner attached to it. As seen on Campbell Live, Wednesday 20th May.

IF Kent Gearry has his way, an army of "scooter-vacs" will one day zoom across the country, seeking and sucking up broken glass wherever it lies. The Massey University student came up with the idea of bolting a vacuum cleaner onto a small motorbike after becoming frustrated with the piles of broken glass littering Palmerston North. Broken glass is a special danger. As seen in Southland Times, Monday 18th May.

When recession bites, its blackened fangs often chomp down hardest on innovation. When it's all hands to the pump on bread-and-butter basics, there's no room for those with little muscle and caviar tastes. Hunkering down on strictly controlled rations and steering an undaring course is a common - and perhaps the most sensible - recipe for surviving the economic maelstrom. However, conservatism is not the only path. As seen in Nelson Mail, Monday 18th May.

A Massey University student has developed a device so simple it is brilliant - a motorcyclemounted vacuum cleaner powerful enough to suck up whole stubby bottles and broken glass. Kent Gearry's "scooter vac" prototype, built at the end of last year, had proved itself to be manoeuvrable and costeffective, he said last week. As seen in Otago Daily Times, Monday 18th May.

As seen on Breakfast, Monday 18th May.

IF Kent Gearry has his way, an army of "scooter vacs" will one day zoom across the country, seeking and sucking up broken glass wherever it lies. The Massey University student came up with the idea of bolting a vacuum cleaner on to a small motorbike after becoming frustrated with the piles of broken glass littering Palmerston North. As seen in The Dominion Post, Saturday 16th May.

Dr Jonathan Zyzalo wants to go "home" to Gisborne to share his knowledge, but first plans to achieve a couple of other goals. He wants to design a robot that can do kapa haka, work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States and help send a robot spacecraft to Mars. As seen in Manawatu Standard, Friday 15th May.

Rapid, racy robot moves won the day for a team of Massey University Albany student engineers who won the top title at the university category at the Vex Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas. As seen in North Shore Times, Thursday 14th May.

An energy boosting iceblock, a beat-the-recession internet blog and a gym towel with iPod storage were among entrepreneurial business plans suggested by students at the launch of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). As seen in Principals Today Magazine, Thursday 14th May.

A GROUP OF RANGITOTO COLLEGE Students interested in the intricacies and science of 'robotics', recently competed in the VEX Robotics New Zealand Championships at the Massey University Albany campus. The event saw 21 schools competing for the marn prize of an all-expenses paid trip to the VEX Robotics World Championships In Dallas, Texas (www.vexrobotics.com/vex-competitions.shtml).

A team of Massey University engineering students has scooped the top title in the university category at the Vex Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas. About 1300 teams competed in regional contests around the world in the lead-up to the finals.