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SCHOLARSHIP EXEMPLAR << What is this?

Tom Maguire

Soft hit hand guard
Year 13 Materials Technology

In 2009 Thomas (Tom) Macquire was awarded a NZ Scholarship in Technology for his work on the project 'Soft Hit Hand Guard'. Soft Hit Hand Guard is a Technology unit that focussed on the development of a hand guard for motorbikes that provides riders hands, and components on the handlebars of motor bikes, full protection from impact while allowing their hands to be released in the event of an accident.

Tom decided to embark on this project when he realised that motorbike riders often suffer broken wrists and forearms due to their hands being pinned in behind hand guards when they fall from their bikes. He consulted a variety of practising technologists and industry experts to inform his Technological Practice. This included a product designer, people who work in the motorbike industry, a medical radiation technologist, a professional engineer, and a tool and die maker.

In his reflective report and supporting evidence, Tom demonstrated synthesis and integration of technological experiences in bringing together knowledge, skills, ideas and methods to allow the successful Technological Outcome (Soft Hit Hand Guard) to be developed. There is evidence of elegance in Tom's Technological Practice and the final outcome that he produced.

Tom justified how his Technological Practice was undertaken, and how the outcome addressed the specifications he identified for the Technological Outcome to be fit for purpose – ie, it protects riders hands and bike components from impact while allowing hands to be released should the rider fall from the bike.

He critically reflected on the information, understandings and practices of practising technologists from a range of contexts and demonstrated how this was used to inform his own practice when developing his Soft Hit Hand Guard.

Annotated documentation:

Scholarship Report Annotation (PDF, 746kb)		Scholarship Report video (.MOV, 10.6MB)		Student Workbook (PDF, 5.13MB)