As kids, Samuel Gordon and Thomas Phillips similarly both loved building Lego and were always interested in how things worked in the world around them. Their shared passion and curiosity have translated into the two now studying the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (BE(Hons)) in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland – what they believe was the logical decision to make.

Now into the fourth year of their BE(Hons) degree, the two are working on their Final Year Project. This gives undergraduate Engineering students the opportunity to develop a solution to a real-world problem with the knowledge and skills they’ve gained through their BE(Hons) programme – in a way that’s similar to how they might approach the problem in their professional career.

Samuel and Thomas’ project involves conducting research using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis and wind tunnel testing to optimise the aerodynamics of a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), commonly referred to as a drone, for their sponsor company, ANAVIA.

ANAVIA is a Switzerland-based manufacturer specialising in the design, development and manufacturing of industry-leading vertical take-off and landing systems of up to 500 kilograms; aiming to redefine the future of unmanned aircraft technology.

“ANAVIA set us objectives at the beginning of the project to optimise their HT-100 UAV in a way that helps it perform to a higher standard", says Samuel, who is also completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Business Analytics alongside his BE(Hons) degree.

"We're going to look into how much force is actually produced on the drone using different wind speeds, as well as obtain a more comprehensive result on the forces at different angles of attack of the drone."

“Through our research, we plan to gain insights into the drag, aerodynamic characteristics, crosswind sensitivity, and stability of the UAV model”, adds Thomas.

Drone technology has rapidly advanced over the years, transforming industries such as agriculture, and environmental monitoring, while also playing a critical role in operations such as search and rescue missions, and disaster response.

Through their Final Year Project, Samuel and Thomas are contributing to this revolution in their own way. Their work on optimising the HT-100 UAV not only aligns with their passions, but also helps push the boundaries of what's possible in drone innovation.

“The HT-100 UAV has a wide range of applications at the moment. It’s currently being used for aerial mapping, reconnaissance, and search and rescue, for multiple different fields", says Samuel.

“As with any project, we've experienced couple of hiccups here and there. One is trying to manufacture the UAV to use in the Faculty of Engineering’s Wind Tunnel. Deciding on the UAV’s size has been a particular challenge because it needs to satisfy certain constraints within the tunnel, such as the fact that the model can’t block more than 5 percent of the cross-sectional area of the tunnel. We've worked on overcoming this by doing further iterations and improving the design to get more accurate results”, says Thomas.

“Collaborating with ANAVIA has enhanced our research experience because we've been able to see how they operate, and we've been able to sort of integrate their philosophies in with our research. One of their philosophies is being dedicated to producing high-quality products, and we translate this into our work by attempting to produce the highest quality results for ANAVIA so that they can continue improving and developing their premier HT-100 UAV.”

“We've also been able to access greater expertise on the subjects that we're doing now. We're working with engineers from both within the faculty and at ANAVIA, who’ve been in the field for 10 to 20 years. So, the ability to utilise what they know with regards to wind tunnel testing and CFD analysis, and areas around that, has allowed us to streamline the process, speed it up and get better results in a shorter timeframe”, adds Samuel.

Reflecting on their project, Samuel and Thomas believe that the skill sets they’ve developed and the insights they’ve gained will be invaluable as they transition into the workforce.

“Our Final Year Project encompasses learning and applying a wide variety of skills, including theoretical calculations, computational analyses, design and manufacture, and experimental testing, which I think will be very useful in my future career”, says Thomas.

“This project is in a field I am particularly passionate about, and the skills I’m developing through the project will be essential for any future jobs in this area. As a graduate, I plan on using these skills as a foundation for further development in becoming a better engineer and in helping to aid my professional pursuits in the field.”

“I believe that the experience and knowledge that I’m gaining from completing my Final Year Project will be invaluable in my career beyond university. Many of the top engineering firms and consultancies across the world heavily consider these projects as part of their recruiting process, and completing these projects to a high level helps tremendously in this process”, says Samuel.

“Having ANAVIA as an industry sponsor to this project creates an extra layer of complexity to the project which has been thoroughly enjoyable. As a graduate, the skills in communication and reporting that I’ve developed through this project will help me to better communicate with clients if I choose to work in a consultancy, and with my employer and colleagues overall”.

“Engineering is difficult and it's highly demanding, but the results are truly rewarding. To anyone considering studying engineering, I'd say dive right in”.