The Soumac Award 2014 / 15 has drawn to a close and we would like to congratulate our 2015 winner, Renata Costa, for her ‘Intelligent Stethoscope’.
This was the second year of the Soumac Award, introduced by Soumac in 2013 to recognise young talent and passion within the electronics industry. Held at Portsmouth University this year, the Soumac Award 2014 / 15 received an influx of high quality submissions; however, two stood out. Over the course of the year, we followed the two projects and observed their progression through from concept to reality.
Our winning project, by Renata, was developed to capture more accurately heart and lung sounds to aid the identification of potentially life-threatening conditions. The device is used to measure and convert signals digitally; the stethoscope amplifying the sounds of the respiratory system, which can then be captured and analysed further when converted into a digital format.
Describing her experience of the Soumac Award, Renata said “the Soumac Award was a great moment for me as I felt recognised for all the hard work I’d put into the project. The company has provided me with great support and I am very happy that I took part in this competition. I feel this was a great networking experience and I am looking forward to attending the Electronic Show in Coventry with Soumac and meeting more people in my field.”
Renata graduated from the University of Portsmouth this July, after joining in 2011 to pursue a Bachelor in Engineering Degree. She has a very exciting career ahead of her and said “I have just graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a 1st Class Bachelor Degree in Telecommunications and Electronic Engineering. I am very happy to announce that I have got a job working with BMW Group UK at MINI Oxford. I am joining the BMW Group on a Graduate Programme as a Validation Engineer. I am very excited and I can’t wait to start my new career in October.”
Soumac would also like to congratulate our runner-up, Christian Mesmar. Christian’s project examined the installation of satellite dishes, creating a system which allows people to identify the optimum signal reception. The project involved analysing incoming signals and releasing a sound that indicates the strength of the signal, helping determine how the movement of the dish is affecting the signal.
Christian, our runner up, said of his experience “It felt like we were being looked after and given recognition for the work that we had done, we were monitored throughout the progress and it kept us motivated to progress. Everybody who we met from Soumac were very welcoming and friendly which made us feel very relaxed”.
Senior Lecturer of the Engineering Department at University of Portsmouth, Dr Rinat Khusainov explained “Partnerships with industry are extremely important for us as a University. They help us develop employability skills in our graduates, provide industrial input into our curriculum, and build strong links with companies. The Soumac Award has provided our students with an excellent opportunity to interact with industry experts while doing their projects, and gain insights into business aspects of engineering…It is also rewarding for us to see that Portsmouth engineering talent is highly regarded by industry. We are certainly looking forward to continuing collaboration with Soumac.”
If you’d like to meet Renata or any of the Soumac team, feel free to visit our stand at the Electronics Design Show at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry this October. You can book tickets for free here.
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