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News Highlights

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Young achiever develops “talking hand”

The 24-year old Australian inventor of a unique aid for the vocally handi-cappcd has won the inaugural Jeans West Science and Technology Young Achiever of the Year Award.

Michael Walsh, a 1984 Oucensland University mcdallist devclopcd a hand held talking aid while at university. His “talking hand” is soon to bc placed in production by his first employer — Laser Dynamics, on Queensland^łs Gold Coast.

MichaePs Young Achicver award was announeed at a telcviscd banquct in

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Brisbane. Five other under-25’s received awards for achievement in sport, the arts, community service, careers, and entrepreneurial endeavour.

Michael is one of 29 ncw staff cm-ployed this year by LDL, rccently listed on the stock exchange. He is a member of a four-person product development team.

The talking hand works by the con-version of finger pressure on a palm-held pad into normal sounding words. The codcd pressure impulses are con-verted into audio tones by a compact speech proccssor. The words are broad-cast via a smali speaker which can be hand held.

Electronics courses at RMIT

Accredited electronic tradesmen and women eager to upgrade their skills in specialised technologies such as VCR, domestic video and digital audio should consider one of the courses offered by the Electronics Trade Department at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology).

Classes in these areas are usually offered in the evenings, but in special cases błock release during the day or even off campus courses may be offered by the department for people living in country areas.

Electronics buffs may also wish to take advantagc of basie training in elec-tronics which is offered to the generał public by evening classes which lead to a Basic Electronics Certificate. Some of the students attempting this course are alrcady employed in the industry, but usually all that is needed is a generał in-terest in electronics.

Further study through bridging sub-jects can lead on to electivc subjects covering most areas of electronics. Students attend classes two evenings a week.

The Electronic Trade Department is part of RMITs recent restructuring of existing Schools which has led to the formation of a School of Electrotech-nology. Each department within this school is autonomous and is able to re-spond rapidly to the training needs of the industries serviced by each depart-ment’s areas of expcrtise.

The Electronics Trade Department*s prime teaching objective is to carry out the training of Industrial Training Com-mission of Victoria accredited Radio (Electronics) tradespeople. The appren-ticeship course consists of 960 hours of training during the day for a minimum period of three years. For the finał year, the student apprentice has the choice of one of four elective streams, namely audio, colour TV, Communications or digital.

In addition to the courses already mentioncd, a service is provided for sec-ondary students of schools from the metropolitan area on a daily basis in vocational Directional and Experience programs in basie Computer and basie electronics for year 10 students and a Tcrtiary Orientation Course introduc-tion for Year 11 students.

For further information on any these courses, contact Mr Nolan, Acting Hcad of Department on [phone] extension 425 or 426.

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ELECTRONICS Australia. Seplember 1987