Mapúa student enters international James Dyson Awards Top 20 with inclusive invention
An invention from a Mapúa University student that absorbs and converts ultraviolet (UV) light into clean renewable energy was recognized in the international design tilt James Dyson Award.
Fifth-year electrical engineering student Carvey Ehren Maigue landed a spot in the International Top 20 with his invention Aureus, a window and wall technology that captures UV light to generate solar energy.
Aureus makes use of a substrate that converts UV light into visible light. The substrate contains organic luminescent particles extracted from waste crops that convert high-energy UV lightwaves to lower-energy visible lightwaves. It is the same process of how the atmosphere produces the Aurora Lights from high-energy waves in space. In turn, the converted visible light will be converted into electricity by photovoltaic films, which function the same way as solar panels.
UV is a form of electromagnetic radiation present in sunlight that can bounce off surfaces such as buildings.
“Compared to conventional claddings that deflect UV light, the device is capable of absorbing UV light instead. I would like to call it as an inclusive design because it is capable of protecting people both indoors and outdoors from UV,” said Maigue.
Maigue shared that Aureus allows for the creation of vertical solar farms in urban areas, since the device doesn’t need a direct exposure to the sun to catch UV light.
Aside from that, it also supports the local agriculture industry by upcycling crops particularly those that would be considered waste after natural calamities like floods.
“Since the particles used in the substrate can be derived from waste fruits and vegetables, we are giving the farmers another way to recover their losses even if their crops get wasted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aureus was declared as one of the runners-up among the eight entries from the five universities in the national category. It will progress to the international competition along with two other contenders from the Philippines.
Moreover, Mapúa’s School of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering Dean Alejandro Ballado Jr. noted that the quality of engineering education that Mapúa provides to its students is at par with the level provided by international universities.
“Carvey’s success demonstrates a great achievement of the learning outcomes we have set for all our students,” he added.
The James Dyson Award is an international design award that celebrates, encourages, and inspires the next generation of design engineers. Winners of the international competition will be announced on November 19.