Middlesex high-flyers show soaring potential at New Designers exhibition

Samuel Ogbuehi says Middlesex is the place "if you find it difficult to sit still when there is something to build"

Middlesex Mechatronics graduate Samuel Ogbuehi's striking final year project, on display at the prestigious New Designers exhibition in Islington this summer, is an ornithopter - an aircraft inspired by nature that flies by flapping a set of wings, mimicking the flight of a bird of prey.

The iHawk is designed to deter pest birds humanely and sustainably, for example on farms and at airports. Typical deterrents such as scarecrows, noise devices, and static decoys stop working because birds get used to them. By contrast the ornithopter moves and behaves like a real threat.

Samuel had three engineering objectives – keep the weight low enough, make all the components repairable and replaceable in the field, and choose materials that meet the mechanical demands of a load-carrying structure.

The project required extensive prototyping using laser cutters, water-jet cutting, carbon fibre 3D printing and specialist workshop facilities, all available at Middlesex.

Samuel's influences included technical education specialist Festo’s biologically-inspired designs such as robotic jellyfish and flying foxes, and work by engineering content creators freely shared online.
 
YouTube channels like Flite Test, The Hacksmith, and Peter Sripol showed Samuel early on, he says, that ambitious engineering projects “don’t require a corporate budget, just a clear problem to solve, and a willingness to iterate".
 
“A spark was ignited”, Samuel says, by his introduction to Computer-aided Design modelling and 3D printing, following which he invested in a home 3D printer and spent hours designing and developing projects with it. Lecturer in Product Design Dr Ahmed Patel observes that as Samuel developed his skills, he built a portfolio that reflected “genuine curiosity, creativity and technical competence through both directed and self-motivated learning”.
 
On a placement year at Bosch, Samuel led on the development of a harness system for a brushcutter - a heavier, more powerful version of a grass trimmer - taking it all the way from initial concept through computer design work to global product release. "I still find it remarkable that something I designed is now in the hands of customers around the world," Samuel reflects.
 
His time at Bosch fired an interest in product design which he wants to explore further. He hopes in five or ten years to be working at the intersection of product design and robotics, on devices which are both technically rigorous and destined for real-world customer use.
 
Ahmed Patel says the optional placement year is encouraged at Middlesex as it enables students to put teaching into practice, gain meaningful industry experience and professional confidence, and to advance skills, insight and networks that gives them a real advantage. “For many students, it serves as a defining step in the transition to employment,” he says.

At New Designers, where 11 graduating Middlesex students from BA Product Design, BEng Design Engineering and BEng Mechatronics and Robotics courses had work on show, both Samuel and Product Design graduate Cherise Joseph-Holloway received Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) awards for best final project in their respective programmes.
 
Cherise’s final year project, Thrill Pals, transforms the emotions of a theme park ride into a personalised digital and physical keepsake, extending the experience long after the ride has ended. Read more about it here.
 
“Our students’ work at New Designers exemplifies the diversity of projects within our programmes, combining creativity, technical competency and a rich understanding of user-centred design,” says Ahmed Patel.
 
“Seeing Samuel and Cherise receive student IED awards at New Designers, one of UK's leading graduate design showcases, is testament to the exceptional quality of their work. Receiving the award is a noteworthy achievement for any graduating designer or engineer, offering industry recognition of both technical excellence and innovative thinking”.
 
Samuel says: “If you are the kind of person who finds it difficult to sit still when there is something to build, Middlesex will suit you well. The environment rewards curiosity and hands-on thinking, and the London location means wider industry is never far away”.

Read about our Mechantronics and Robotics Engineering courses at Middlesex.