Schoolboy pair wins BHP Billiton Science Award

By February 9th, 2007

Two schoolboys from Redeemer Baptist School in North Parramatta, NSW have been named as the winners of the 2007 BHP Billiton Science Awards for developing a device that measures colour contrasts on various materials. The device will benefit vision-impaired people.

The BHP Billiton Science Awards are a partnership between CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association and BHP Billiton. They reward students who have undertaken practical research projects which demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific procedures.

As part of a project titled Versatile Colour Identification and Luminance Contrast Determination, Ian Cannon and Rickystan Savaiko developed a prototype of a portable photometric device that measures the colour contrast between two adjacent surfaces.

The device could be useful in improving building design and making spaces more accessible to vision-impaired people. As part of their research, they have also developed a unique mathematical algorithm to determine luminance contrast.

Robbie Bishop-Taylor form Great Lakes College, Forster, NSW won a second-place award for his project titled The identification of Critical Salinity Thresholds for Upper Estuarine Plants.

Parts of Australia are facing a water shortage. Reduced river flows mean that salt can accumulate in estuarine areas at higher levels than normal.  Robbie looked at the critical salinity levels that five common upper estuarine plants could tolerate.

“The BHP Billiton Science Awards are a partnership between CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association and BHP Billiton.”

Marcus Littlewood and James Dawson Smith from Scotch College in Melbourne, Victoria were awarded third place. Their project MP3 Players and Noise Induced Hearing Loss, looked at whether people were using MP3 players in a way that could damage their hearing.

They compared their results to acceptable OHS levels for acceptable noise exposure limits. As a result several of their friends have turned down the volume on their MP3s.

As part of their prize 16 student finalists from all over Australia attended an all expenses paid BHP Billiton Science Camp run by CSIRO in Melbourne from 3-6 February. They also received cash prizes.

Ann Burke, from Marist Regional College, Burnie, Tasmania was selected as the national winning teacher for her outstanding work in promoting open-ended student research.

Images can be downloaded at: Science Image Online.

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Fast facts

  • The BHP Billiton Science Awards are a partnership between CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association and BHP Billiton
  • They reward students who have undertaken practical research projects which demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific procedures
  • As part of their prize 16 student finalists from all over Australia attended an all expenses paid BHP Billiton Science Camp run by CSIRO in Melbourne from 3-6 February