Winning ECU students, (L-R) team member Qinwen Zeng and project lead Qianting Lin with their ECU supervisor Dr David Cook.
This is the first time in the INCITE Awards 33-year history that ECU has won both the Undergraduate and Post Graduate awards.
The INCITE Awards are the premier event in Information and communications technology (ICT) for our State and are celebrated as Western Australia's longest-running tech awards program.
The INCITE program showcases groundbreaking technology and innovation and supports ICT innovators in WA through an Awards system that places their technology innovation on the national and global stage.
ECU creative thinking tops the State
Kudos to project lead Qianting Lin and team member Qinwen Zeng, for winning the Research & Innovation (post-graduate) award for their project "Water Twins", proudly supervised by ECU School of Science Lecturer, Dr David Cook.
Congratulations to Joshua Danvers, Liam Partlow and Ben Johnston for the winning the Peter Fillery Undergraduate Student Project of the Year award for their project "Vulnerable Machines", proudly supervised by ECU School of Science Lecturer, Dr Imran Malik.
ECU itself won the Innovating Government award for the project "ParaVerse", a parachute rehearsal and training virtual reality (VR) simulator for Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) Army, led by ECU Senior Lecturer and Simulation & Immersive Digital Technology Group (SIDTG) lead, Dr Brennen Mills.
ECU Executive Dean School of Science, Professor Marnie Campbell said she was proud to see the ECU student projects rewarded for their great work.
"These award wins really reinforce that creative thinking and innovation is at the heart of what we do here at ECU," said Executive Dean Campbell.
ECU student winners will go on to represent ECU and Western Australia at the national stage competition finals.
ECU Alumni found innovative organisations
Among this year's INCITE Award winners were also outstanding companies founded by ECU Alumni:
- Switched On Seniors - winner of the Digital Inclusion award was organisation Founder and Manager, ECU School of Arts and Humanities Alumna Sheena Edwards. Switched on Seniors is based on providing tech help 'for seniors by seniors', helping seniors get their needs met online using mobile devices such as iPads or iPhones, tablets or smartphones.
- Clear Carbon – achieving a merit award in the Startup of the Year and Research & Innovation (Industry) category was organisation CEO & Co-Founder, ECU School of Science Alumnus Mr Hemal Modi. Clear Carbon provides a complete solution for carbon management.
- SpaceDraft -achieving a merit award in the Transformative Solutions merit award category was organisation Founder and School of Arts and Humanities Alumna Lucy Matilda Cooke. SpaceDraft brings plans to life, making information enjoyable to understand and empowering teams to visualise what comes next for enhanced safety and productivity.
Highlight remarkable projects
In a fiercely competitive field with seven finalists vying for the top spot, Qianting Lin and her team stood out, emerging as the sole winner in the Research & Innovation (Post-Graduate) category. Their award-winning project, “Water Twins,” is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and dedication.
ECU students, (L-R) team member Qinwen Zeng and project lead Qianting Lin with their impressive win at the INCITE Awards.
Master of Computer Science student and Software Engineer Qianting Lin led the project and explains their work is designed to assist farmers in remote and rural areas, the project leverages cutting-edge IoT (Internet of Things) digital twin technology to establish a reliable water management system.
"By providing real-time and historical data through intuitive dashboard visualisations, "Water Twins" empowers farmers to make data-informed decisions, tackling the unique challenges faced by the farming community," says Lin.
"This project began as a voluntary initiative a year ago, with no academic credit attached, driven purely by the team’s passion for making a positive impact. The multidisciplinary nature of the project, involving both the Schools of Science and Business and Law, showcases the collaborative spirit that defines ECU's approach to tackling real-world issues."
"By creating a digital replica of water systems, Water Twins connects people with water management, providing real-time insights and predictive analytics to optimise water usage, improve resource management, and reduce environmental impacts. This innovative technology empowers water authorities, policymakers, and communities with the tools needed to make informed decisions for sustainable water management."
For Qinwen Zeng, a Management Information Systems student at School of Business and Law, an aspiring ICT Business and Systems Analyst, played a key role in the success of the Water Twins. Despite the stress of end-of-semester exams and multiple commitments, the team persevered, dedicating countless hours in the campus lab across summer and winter.
Zeng's expertise in data analysis and system evaluation was instrumental in demonstrating the tangible benefits of the technology to Western Australian farmers. By bridging the gap between technology and business value, her significant contribution on this project not only elevated the team's achievements but also showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in driving real-world impact.
This dedication is reflected in their triumph and resonates deeply with the team’s aspirations to make meaningful contributions to both academia and the community.
"The timing of the win, during the Paris Olympics, serves as an additional source of inspiration for me," says Zeng.
"I have always been the most faithful audience of the Olympics, I believe it showcases the determination, perseverance and resilience that humans put into pursuing being faster, higher and stronger, as well as the unwavering progress towards goals. These values align closely with my personal beliefs, and I am also persistently implementing it in my life."
The ECU experience
Qianting Lin and Qinwen Zeng agree that university life is an opportunity to be inspired, especially at ECU.
"It's an amazing place filled with cultural diversity and interesting exchange of ideas, and I love contributing to the university community," said Lin.
"I've had a wonderful experience organising and facilitating the International Cafe Session at ECU, where we invite new international students to join us for coffee and afternoon tea, so they can build connections while learning about living and studying in Australia."
"I have met many people from different cultures during these sessions and have found it enriching to exchange experiences and learn from one another, discovering fun facts from all over the world," said Zeng.
Looking ahead, both Zeng and Lin are committed to furthering her academic pursuits and volunteer efforts, leveraging their unique cultural insights to enhance both her work and contributions to the community. Their vision includes establishing sustainable models for student-led university initiatives that address pressing global challenges.
Technology testing and training tool that fosters cultural awareness and respect
The Peter Fillery Undergraduate Student Project of the Year award recognises the most outstanding ICT project undertaken by a WA tertiary undergraduate student or group and ECU's Joshua Danvers, Liam Partlow and Ben Johnston won the award for their "Vulnerable Machines".
The Vulnerable Machine project is the development of a multi-purpose Pen Testing tool, a dynamic, culturally inclusive, and innovative product that offers a comprehensive solution for developing the much-needed cyber security skills to identify vulnerabilities in systems and safeguard them before real cyber criminals take advantage of them.
Proud supervisor, ECU School of Science Lecturer Dr Imran Malik, explains that apart from developing vulnerable machines, the project provides an all-inclusive documentation and solution guide for developing a range of professionally designed testing scenarios, which helps create new vulnerabilities and apply countermeasures to them.
ECU School of Science Lecturer Dr Imran Malik, proud supervisor of the "Vulnerable Machines" project, with his winning students' award.
"The deliverables of this project make it a highly usable testing and training tool for the development of pen testing skills for future cyber security professionals/students," said Dr Malik.
"For the first time (to the best of our knowledge), such a cyber security project uniquely incorporates Australian history by acknowledging the Aboriginal tribes from the Noongar region of Southwest Western Australia by introducing their flags in the developed machines and describing each tribe. This unique feature fosters cultural awareness and respect."
Wishing them well at the nationals
As the "Twin Waters" and "Vulnerable Machines" teams prepare to represent ECU and Western Australia at the national stage competition finals at the iAwards and the international Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA), their achievements stand as a shining example of how innovation and dedication can create impactful solutions and inspire future generations.
And it all started with studying Science at ECU.
