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Silver and bronze in national student design award

11 May 2005

Two industrial design students from Monash's Caulfield campus have placed second and third the 2005 Australian Design Award -- Dyson Student Award.

'Gabriel -- Emergency Hospital Bed' by David Ferrarotto, awarded silver in the 2005 Australian Design Award -- Dyson Student Award.

Mr David Ferrarotto, who completed honours in 2004, won silver, and Mr Tom Marminc, a fourth-year (honours) student, won bronze in Australia's top industrial design competition for students.

They were selected from a shortlist of 11 finalists chosen from 95 entrants by an international panel of experts in design and engineering.

Mr Ferrarotto's 'Gabriel -- Emergency Hospital Bed', is a lightweight ergonomically designed seat for hospital waiting rooms that folds down into a fully functional hospital bed. It can be used as a makeshift bed in a hospital ward, nursing home or school, or as an aid during emergencies and disasters when wards are full.

"'Gabriel' is also ideal for parents who need to spend the night in hospital with an ill child, or for people involved in palliative care," Mr Ferrarotto said.

'Syton Mobility Aid' by Tom Marminc, awarded bronze in the 2005 Australian Design Award -- Dyson Student Award.

Mr Marminc, who entered three projects of which two were short-listed, was recognised for his 'Syton Mobility Aid', a wheelchair designed to provide children suffering from muscular dystrophy with greater mobility and functionality and help reduce the stigma associated with using wheelchairs.

"The most debilitating physical problem the disease imposes on sufferers is the inability to change from a seated to standing position," Mr Marminc said.

"The 'Syton', more urban buggy than wheelchair and much more functional, folds at its midpoint and raises the seat while the armrests enable the user to stand or sit down as easily and as independently as possible."

Industrial design course coordinator Mr Selby Coxon said he was delighted with the results.

"Part of our course philosophy is to engage in high-quality national and international competitions as a way of measuring our students and our course against other institutions, and Monash has performed exceptionally well in this regard in recent years," Mr Coxon said.

From left: Silver award-winner Mr David Ferrarotto and bronze award-winner Mr Tom Marminc.

The Australian Design Award -- Dyson Student Award recognises and rewards innovative designs that provide realistic solutions to everyday problems. The annual competition is open to all full-time students undertaking design and engineering-based courses in Australia.