Contact:
Andrew Drinkwater, 778.782.2250; agd@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.9017; Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca

Website: www.techone.sfu.ca/showcase

Photo on Flickr

A class of students in Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology saved their class project for a rainy day – and the result could help simplify water needs for disaster relief and wilderness travelers.

They created Noro, one of several projects to be highlighted on Saturday, Jan. 28 from noon – 4:30 p.m. at the SIAT annual student showcase at SFU Surrey.

Noro, a Finnish word meaning ‘trickle,’ is a portable rainwater harvesting system. It’s part of a family of student-designed products that work in extreme conditions and allows for extended access to fresh water in remote areas.

The system works by collecting water in a large cylinder, funneling it through a mesh and into a two-stage filtration process, where it is purified of metals, parasites, solvents and debris and stored in an expanding reservoir until needed.

The annual show brings out the year’s top SIAT student innovations for critique by faculty, alumni and industry professionals.

Among other projects are designer video games like Hootlin, nominated for a Canadian Videogame award, new age lighting designs such as Luna, an ergonomic, arc-shaped lamp, and unique pieces like Triranggordo, a musical instrument shaped like the Ibanez Destroyer electric guitar but played with sensors instead of strings.

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