Montague Salt-Cowell , Lytchett Matravers, United Kingdom

Using the skills acquired in my physics degree, I have independently helped architecture students with technology based projects. A noteworthy occasion includes consulting with architects on how to design a system that senses the direction in which people are moving through a doorway. An Arduino, that controls an infra-red sensor in the doorway, is connected to a servo that opens or closes two valves. Depending on the direction in which a person passes the sensor, a balloon on the outside of the building either inflates or deflates. Therefore, the volume of air inside the balloon is proportionate to the number of people in the building.
Throughout my degree I have also gained experience in coding, specifically Python. As well as utilising the basic analytical tools, I have also used Python for complex modelling of non-linear systems. In my third-year dissertation I have used Python extensively to analyse marine anthropogenic sounds. I have compared this with data found on whale calls and communication. I have used Python to model the sound attenuation characteristics of different global sea conditions. In conjunction with marine anthropogenic signal data, I have been able to 3D model the sound intensity over distance of these noise sources. I have then analysed whether these intensities would affect different species of whale population numbers based on the intensity of sound they would receive at increasing distances. The acoustic analysis techniques I have used have been mainly self-taught, with the help of online resources and my dissertation supervisor.
I am particularly interested in biology and I am an avid plant grower. I believe using technology to becoming self-sufficient will create a more sustainable society. My passion for biology, built through by A-Level qualification as well as my experience in growing plants, has taught me that nature is the best designer. By combining my interest in both nature and robotics, I would like to pursue a career in biomimetics. For example, I am ambitious to innovate my own technology company that integrates robotic systems into the design of houses, to create sustainable homes. I have gained entrepreneurial skills in my third-year module “commercialising innovation”. My group and I were required to use business skills to design a product and create a well-developed business plan which outlines the product development, production and financial costing of the business.