With their passion for scientific research, some students of the Da Nang University of Education and the University of Science and Technology have developed many useful products for the benefit of their community.

Life jacket for fishermen

Stemming from the fact that fishing at sea is probably the most dangerous occupation in the world, a group of students from the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, namely Le Thi Nha, Tran Le Vy Nhan Tam, Tang Thi Anh Thu, Le Van Huy and Le Ba Thang, have designed a multifunctional life jacket called sCoat in an effort to help fishermen reduce occupational hazards at sea.

The multifunctional life jacket, sCoat, designed by the students from the Da Nang University of Science and Technology

The purpose of this thermal and waterproof jacket is to warm the body of wearers in extreme weather conditions at sea such as strong winds, heavy rain, and sea level rises.

The inflatable jacket uses compressed air, or CO2, to fill its arms and neck with air, allowing wearers to float higher and be more visible when the life jacket is inflated.

This product is used as a jacket for helping fishermen stay warm in bad weather, and it is as a life raft.

Reflective strips on the jacket help increases wearers’ visibility at night, while the D-ring attachment comes in handy for adding safety accessories like a whistle, a torch and a small knife.

Of special note, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is designed and installed in sCoat in an effort to facilitate search and rescue activities when its wearer is in danger at sea.

With its simple design and affordable price-tag, sCoat is highly recommended for fishermen, and weak or non-swimmers.

Thanks to a wide range of benefits sCoat offers, these students has won the top prizes in the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) 2020, and in the investor-style pitch competition, Maker to Entrepreneur: Venture Demo Day (MEP-2020).

Math toys for preschoolers

Students Tran Thi Thu Huong, Tran Thi Vu Linh and Le Thi Hong Vien from the Faculty of Preschool Education of the Da Nang University of Education has recently made seven sets of Math toys and tools for children aged 5-6 years old.

A group of students from Da Nang University of Education instructing some Hoa Mi preschoolers to use their Math toys and tools

Tran Thi Thu Huong, the leader of the products' developers, remarked learning through play is an integral part of a child’s development. The use of hands-on educational toys will help children learn many different skills they will need in their life, as well as develop their fine and gross motor skills, creativity, imagination, and learning capabilities.

Huong revealed they came up with the idea of creating such sets of Math toys and tools due to a growing demand from preschools in Da Nang whilst a variety of hands-on educational toys and tools for kids are on sale at fairly high prices in the market. In addition, many of such products on sale are not age-appropriate and made from unsafe materials.

The female young student said that safety is a major priority in child development and school-age programs. Unsafe toys and materials can put children at risk for injury or illness.

Her group’s developed products are made from safe material, all protrusions and holes are thought out to the smallest detail and made conveniently so that the baby can play comfortably. Such products are also considered as effectively support tools for preschool teachers.

The group-made Math toys and tools are divided into 3 difficulty levels: easy, moderately challenging (not too easy and not too difficult), and hard. By using such products, kids in the age group of 5-6 years will develop numeracy skills involving understanding numbers, counting, solving number problems, measuring, sorting, noticing patterns, adding and subtracting numbers and more.

The sets of Math toys and tools have received high appreciation from teachers after being used on a trial basis on 50 children aged 5-6 years old of the Hoa Mi, 1 June and Co Tien Xanh preschools, all based in Lien Chieu District.

With the highly practical products, their developers have claimed second place at their university’s scientific research contest, and they advanced to the university-level finals in Da Nang scientific research contest, during the 2019-2020 academic year.

By THANH TINH - Translated by M.D