At the 2025 National Vocational and Technical Practical Student Project Competition and Achievement Exhibition, hosted by the Ministry of Education, student teams from STUST delivered outstanding performances, standing out amid intense competition. A total of 5 projects received top honors—2 first prizes, 1 second prize, and 2 excellence awards—highlighting STUST’s strong capabilities in innovative, practical applications and interdisciplinary design. The competition took place at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 from May 8 to May 9, 2025, with 1,181 entries submitted by 48 vocational and technical universities and colleges across Taiwan. After a rigorous preliminary written review by experts from industry, academia, and research sectors, only 141 entries advanced to the final round. Of these, 64 winning projects were selected. The event featured 16 categories, spanning fields such as technology, design, management, and humanities. STUST’s students were highly praised by the judges for their outstanding practical achievements and innovative spirit.

【Tsai-yi Lin, Ke-wei Hu, Yi-zhen Peng, Jiansheng Lin, and Rou-yi Lai, directed by Prof. Ya-lin Chen from the Department of Creative Product Design, won first place in the Nursing and Child Care Group with their work “Hand Protective Cotton.” Designed specifically for women who have limited use of one hand, this menstrual product enables full independence in replacement, adhesion, and storage.】

The project “Hand Protective Cotton,” which secured first place in the Nursing and Child Care Group, was created by Tsai-yi Lin, Ke-wei Hu, Yi-zhen Peng, Jiansheng Lin, and Rou-yi Lai under the guidance of Prof. Ya-lin Chen. Designed specifically for women who have limited use of one hand, this menstrual product enables full independence in replacement, adhesion, and storage. The aim is to uphold users' dignity and autonomy, significantly improving both their quality of life and user experience. The team began by identifying the challenges faced by women with disabilities and conducted in-depth field interviews with individuals who had undergone unilateral amputations. Interviewees reported that standard sanitary napkins are not designed for one-handed operation, making the process time- consuming and often reliant on external assistance, which compromises privacy. In response, the team pursued a user-centered design approach, refining product structures and workflows through sketches, prototypes, and user testing. The final design received high praise and positive feedback during trials. In addition to this award, the project also won the Jury Award in the Three-dimensional Modeling and Product Design Industry Group at the Youth Design Festival Creative Design Competition organized by the Ministry of Education’s, placed second in the Colorful Creative Group at the STUST Cup Campus Three Creations Competition,” and was shortlisted for the IDEA Outstanding Industrial Design Award in the United States, underscoring its global design potential.

【Yan-cheng Chang, Zheng-yan Li, and Zhen-wei Yang, directed by Prof. Ming-zhe Chen from the Department of Electronic Engineering, won first place in the Information and Engineering Communication Group with their work “iOP—Artificial Intelligence Equipment Identification and Position Inventory System for Surgical Operating Rooms, which was presented Director Yu-hui Yang from the Ministry of Education.】

The project “iOP—Artificial Intelligence Equipment Identification and Position Inventory System for Surgical Operating Rooms” was developed by students Yan- cheng Chang, Zheng-yan Li, and Zhen-wei Yang, under the guidance of Prof. Ming- zhe Chen. It won first place in the Information and Engineering Communication Group. Addressing the issue of medical errors caused by misplaced surgical equipment, the team designed a system using AI recognition technology to achieve a 99% accuracy rate in equipment identification. The traditional 15-minute inventory process was reduced to just 1 second, greatly enhancing both the efficiency and safety of surgical operations. The project was highly acclaimed by the judges for its innovation and practicality.

【Jia-yun Lin, Shao-tsi Lin, Han-ming Chen, Yu-shun He, and Yu-an Yang, directed by Prof. Meng-ling Lai and Prof. Ding-jun Tong from the Department of Visual Communication Design, won second place in the Product Design Group with their work “Tracing.” The work is a practical project that combines design and environmental education, showing the students’ ability to absorb design skills and internalize responses to real social needs during the learning process. It was well recognized by the judges.】

The project “Tracing,” which earned second place in the Product Design Group, was developed under the mentorship of Prof. Meng-ling Lai and Prof. Ding-jun Tong. The team, composed of Jia-yun Lin, Shao-tsi Lin, Han-ming Chen, Yu-shun He, and Yu-an Yang, drew inspiration from firsthand participation in beach cleanup activities. They repurposed collected marine waste into materials for educational tools, creating a sustainability-focused teaching kit with practical and pedagogical value. The kit includes three main components: the “Drifting and Sea Waste Picture Book,” the “Research and Experiment Manual,” and the “Records and Teaching Logs.” These tools demonstrate the journey, transformation, and potential reuse of marine waste, enhancing classroom engagement and environmental awareness. Notably, the picture book uses a pull-tab binding to mimic the movement of marine debris, creating an immersive and reflective experience for readers. The manual features actual test samples of recycled marine waste, encouraging students to explore sustainable material science. The logbook documents the team’s outreach efforts with elementary school students and teachers, and employs wave-shaped pages and recycled fishnet thread as symbolic design elements representing the circularity of marine education and waste repurposing.

【Shiu-yu Hong, Yu-ting Wu, Ting-shuan Liao, and Yu-shin Chou, directed by Prof. Jia- hui Feng from the Department of Creative Product Design, won an Excellent Work Award in the Industrial Design Group with their work “HarmoniKids AI—Children's Music Explorer.】

The awarded work “HarmoniKids AI—Children’s Music Explorer” in the Industrial Design Group, was developed by Shiu-yu Hong, Yu-ting Wu, Ting-shuan Liao, and Yu- shin Chou under the guidance Prof. Jia-hui Feng. Combining digital learning and AI image recognition, this interactive tool features scenario-based stories and musical block games that help children learn rhythm, pitch, and music composition. It aims to build foundational music literacy through engaging, play-based learning that merges education with fun.

In addition, the Department of Information Management received an Excellent Work Award in the Business Group for their work “Commercial Transfer Experimental Research on the Introduction of Plastic Extrusion Process into Smart Manufacturing,” which showcased the team's professional expertise and hands-on capabilities in smart manufacturing.

STUST has consistently emphasized the importance of student special projects and university-industry collaboration, cultivating innovative problem-solving abilities through interdisciplinary and practice-oriented learning. These recent accolades not only highlight the creative achievements and design depth of STUST students, but also reflect the strong guidance and support provided by their instructors. Moving forward, STUST will continue to encourage student participation in innovative special projects and enhance the core competitiveness of vocational education.