Taitung Girls’ High School No. 3 student builds new low-cost optical analysis tool and wins Macronix Science Award silver medal

A group photo of Taitung Girls Middle School students receiving the Macronix Science Award (from left to right: classmate Zhou Yongxuan, classmate Hou Mingchen, teacher Huang Qianyu, Macronix Chairman Wu Minqiu, East Girls Director Zhang Jiyi, and classmate Liu Yingzi). (Provided by Taitung Girls’ High School)

National Taitung Girls' High School students Zhou Yongxuan, Hou Mingchen and Liu Yingzi, under the leadership of their instructor Huang Qianyu, won the Silver Medal Award of the 25th Macronix Science Award for their work "Research on establishing a low-cost continuous wavelength optical analysis device using mobile phone photosensitive elements". After winning the silver medal in the 24th Macronix Science Award, Dongnv was recognized by this national science competition for the second consecutive year, and the results are quite impressive.

The winning entry this time is a student who combined programming, image analysis and 3D printing technology to develop a low-cost, modular optical analysis device. Its biggest feature is that it uses materials and digital technologies that are easily available in daily life to break through the limitations of traditional optical analysis equipment. The three students each demonstrated their strengths and cooperated with each other in their research. Zhou Yongxuan is good at programming languages, information applications and 3D printing, and is responsible for program design and device structure development; Hou Mingchen is responsible for experimental assistance and research planning, assisting in the experimental process and research direction; Liu Yingzi is responsible for data organization and presentation, transforming experimental results into clear data and charts. The three of them worked together to overcome research difficulties through complementary expertise, demonstrating teamwork and cross-field integration capabilities.

In the early stages of the research, the team encountered technical bottlenecks such as the limited wavelength recognition capabilities of mobile phone photosensitive elements, the inability of the light source to form a continuous spectrum, and the arrangement of optical components and signal interpretation. However, the students did not give up easily and took the initiative to learn programming tools and image analysis techniques. They used OpenCV and NumPy for image processing, and used 3D printing to design fixed structures. They used DVD+R discs as diffractive elements to gradually build a simple scanning spectrometer. After repeated testing, parameter adjustment and correction, the device was finally completed and its feasibility for visible light absorption analysis was verified. During the process, the team received assistance from Professor Chiu Taijia of Taitung University. Through academic resources and exchange of opinions, the students were inspired by different aspects.

Instructor Huang Qianyu said that the most valuable thing about scientific research is not to get the answer directly, but to cultivate the ability to solve problems through continuous attempts, corrections and verifications. The three students spent a year and a half, from research conception, programming learning, experimental planning to device production and data analysis, gradually turning their ideas into practical results. Being able to overcome the research bottleneck and win the silver medal this time is the best recognition of the long-term efforts and teamwork of the three students.