Stanmore College’s Engineering Enthusiasts are Nationwide Award Finalists

Congratulations to our Raspberry Pi Competition finalists. The Raspberry Pi Foundation is widely commended for inspiring the next generation of innovators in engineering and computer science; it gained popularity due to its usage in robotics and, every year, the Foundation holds a UK wide Raspberry Pi Competition inviting students to put their programming and development skills to the test.

Awarded third place nationwide in 2019 were Stanmore students Dev Dhingra, Inayat Rahman Amin and Shamal Punja, also known as DIS@stanmore.

DIS@Stanmore created a fingerprint recognition system to prevent fraudulent travel on London buses. Instead of using an oyster card, you simply use your fingerprint as a form of identity thus reducing oyster card fraud. The Raspberry Pi-based system scans the individuals fingerprint. It then determines whether they are allowed or denied access to the bus or train. Additionally, it includes a link to an online website where users can top up funds on their account in the same way that oyster cards work.

There are a variety of benefits of implementing this system. The product is environmentally friendly as less plastic will be used due to the use of your fingerprint. Less fraud will be committed as fingerprints cannot be stolen or used by the wrong person. There is also one less thing to worry about in the morning as you cannot forget your finger print!

In an interview with Dev Dhingra we asked him what he found hard during this project. He responded ‘from the beginning we had a lot of developments, getting the code correct and developing the code itself and getting the algorithm to work with the camera and finger print sensors and with raspberry pi equipment’.

Dev intends to progress to Queen Mary University of London on completion of this study programme at Stanmore College to undertake a finance degree. While presenting their invention at the event, Dev was approached by an Executive from Rolls Royce Aerospace whom he has since been in communication with in relation to a possible apprenticeship with them after his studies. Dev had been involved in the coding aspect of the recognition system. Student colleague and fellow project worker, Inayat Amin, intends to progress to Queen Mary University to undertake a renewal energy engineering degree and Shamal Punja plans to study engineering at Leicester University after Stanmore College. Both Inayat and Shamal had been involved in building the system and with some coding.

When asked what made them proud in relation to this project we were told ‘being in the top 3 was a big recognition for us and the College as our hard work paid off’.

Thanks also to their teachers and technicians, in particular Jigna Patel and Jim Quinn whose support enabled the students to develop their system.

Congratulations to their competitors too! In second place, G.l (PiOXIDE} from King Edwards VI Grammar School created a product which reduces air pollution from vehicle emissions. In first place Team Lighting from Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn School created a product that Eases congestion at traffic lights.

Judges included Rory Cellan-Jones (Teachnology Correspondent BBC), Dominic Lernton (Managing Editor E&T Magazine), Philip Colligan (CEO Raspberry PI Foundation) and Jonathan Midgley (Director of Engineering Trainline).

Unsurprisingly, engineering applications to Stanmore College are soaring and we look forward to seeing more future students excel in similar ways to our current cohort.