Lockdown project: Engineering marvels at home - IMechE Pakistan's Photography Challenge

In March 2020, the Young Members Panel of IMechE Pakistan launched their first-ever photography challenge with the intention to ‘capture engineering in a photograph’. Lo

The competition entries were inspired by the participants'environments during COVID-19 lockdown. This first competition was a great success with 60 participants, graduating students and young professionals of different disciplines of engineering, from right across Pakistan.

The competition aimed to promote the ability to communicate mechanical engineering effectively despite the global pandemic and to promote interest in the art of visualisation. Members and non-members of the Institution were invited to submit up to three photographs on a set theme and describe their photos in 200 words. Keeping in mind, the COVID-19 crisis, the selected theme was “Engineering Marvels at Home”. 

The competition was promoted entirely through social media platforms. Brand ambassadors were selected from different institutions of the country, who then marketed the competition throughout the country. Participants uploaded a set of three images; the photographs were captured through smartphones and cameras.

A distinguished judging panel of leading professionals in the field of engineering and photography judged the images using several criteria on a point system, including,

• impact
• creativity
• composition
• story telling.

Each criteria was worth up to 25 points. Top three positions were awarded with prizes of Rs. 20000, Rs. 10000 and Rs. 5000 respectively, with souvenirs and certificates.

After the announcement of results, the Young Members Panel received positive feedback from the participants, who were very happy. They appreciated the efforts made by the Institution in promoting science and innovation and showcasing their skills, especially in the field of photography.

The results

"If you go out after a rain, you may notice spider webs glistening with water droplets due to surface tension of water. The soggy webs resemble human-made meshes for fog collection: They both have thin fibers that collect water from droplets in the air. A spider web is an engineering marvel. A spider is a genius engineer weaving his webs to trap its prey."

Second place: Raheema Tahir

Raheema submitted photos of plant leaf, Egg Shell and Aloe Vera.

"A plant’s leaf is a living example of engineering of life as many cells like xylem and phloem are engineered throughout the body of a leaf. They are arranged so, microscopically, to supply water and important nutrients to other cells."

"From tiny atoms to a little huge crystals of calcium carbonate, make up a marvellous structure of an eggshell that’s been engineered to protect life within. An egg’s top and bottom arches are the strongest parts. It’s been designed in a way to distribute pressure across its body to avoid shattering."

"Aloe Vera is a xerophytic plant that lives in extreme environments like deserts. To cope with such conditions, it has adapted itself with thorns and large sized cells inside the leaf. Thorns are to prevent water loss while large sized cells store ample amount of water and act as reservoirs. Leaves are stacked on each other, eliminating the concept of singular, basic support called stem."

Third place: Mohammad Sohaib

Mohammed secured third place with his photos of contact lenses.

"Although contact lenses seem to be a modern phenomenon, Leonardo da Vinci produced the first known paintings that suggested that human eye colour could be changed by placing the cornea directly in contact with water. Currently in development are lenses that contain nano-structures and miniaturized electronics and optics that provide hands-free visual content."

"Sony make contact lenses that start recording a video after a deliberate blink is detected. The lenses are powered by sensors that convert power from your eye movement and storage is kept directly on the lens. Google make solar-powered smart contact lenses."

"These future contact lenses would provide a variety of other health and technological benefits. For instance, they would monitor body temperature as well as glucose, allergen, and blood alcohol levels."