This year, the students designed a ferry for the Amazon, a key component of anti-Covid efforts in the region
The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) has announced the award-winning teams for the eighth Annual International Student Design Competition for a safe, affordable ferry.
WFSA executive director Dr Roberta Weisbrod said “This year, the students were tasked with designing a ropax ferry to carry around 300 passengers, many of whom prefer the use of outdoor hammocks, plus vehicles and cargo on the Amazon River between Manaus and Tefé on a trip that is to last 20 hours. Because of the continuing spread of Covid 19 in Brazil and its transmission via river transport, student teams were asked to include features to prevent viral transmission.”
Twelve teams from academic institutions in South America, North America, Europe and Asia submitted their designs.
First place (US$5,000) went to the team from Bremen Hochschule; second place (US$3,000) to the team from ITS Surabaya; third place (US$1,000) to the team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology; and the special award for addressing Covid (US$750) went to UEA Manaus.
The 2021 competition saw students and faculty members from several academic institutions collaborating. Dr Weisbrod described this as “a happy and positive effect of 2020, reflecting the need for remote interactions.”
The goal of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association is to reduce ferry fatalities and expand the use of safe ferries globally. The objective of the International Student Design competition is to reduce ferry fatalities by designing safe affordable vessels.
Riviera Maritime Media will provide free technical and operational webinars in 2021. Sign up to attend on our events page
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.