Science & Technology students apply learning to revamp traditional industries

On entering the village of Wengang in Chiayi’s Dongshi Township, one is met by a slightly salt-infused fishiness in the gentle sea breeze. Oyster cultivation is a traditional industry in Chiayi’s Dongshi Township and the work is extremely labor intensive. Everywhere you look, women, known locally as “green oyster ladies”, can be seen sitting hunched opening oysters, which often results in occupational injuries. Four graduates from Southern Taiwan University of Science & Technology, Weng Yu-ting (翁鈺婷), Liu Pei-xuan (劉珮萱), Hou Pei-jun (侯佩君), and Wang Li-wen (王俐文), established “Kekeke Oyster Regeneration Program,” developing a newfangled oyster transport trolley to improve the working environment of local oyster workers. Determined to develop a set of tools and an oyster trolley that would considerably lighten the women’s workload, the four girls conscientiously worked on the design for a whole year. In order to fully meet the needs of oyster workers, the girls personally visited Dongshi and spent some time working alongside the “green oyster ladies”, an experience which gave them a profound understanding of the difficult and arduous nature of the job.

After gaining this practical experience, they engaged in continuous testing and modifying until they finally reached a design consensus. After on-site testing of the prototype, the “green oyster ladies” were overjoyed with the results and conveyed their sincere gratitude to the students for helping to make their tough job a little easier. The girls hope that their oyster project will inject some new energy into Dongshi and perhaps help elicit other positive ideas from elsewhere, ensuring that designs can traverse the gap between paper and reality.

Science & Technology students apply learning to revamp traditional industries 

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/338305

(以下是中文對照)

科大學生學以致用 翻轉傳統產業

走進嘉義縣東石鄉的塭港村，陣陣海風吹來，有股淡淡的鹹腥味。在這裡到處都可以見到青蚵嫂們正在低頭剖蚵。養殖牡蠣是嘉義東石的傳統產業，由於剖蚵工作非常仰賴人力，長期的蹲坐對青蚵嫂們造成了職業傷害。四位南臺科技大學畢業學生翁鈺婷、劉珮萱、侯佩君、王俐文組成「蚵蚵蚵kēkēkē－復蚵計畫」，研發新式牡蠣搬運車，改善剖蚵工艱辛的工作環境。 四個女孩著手設計，努力了一整年，希望能設計出能夠讓青蚵嫂們更省力的傾蚵仔車和工具組。為了讓工具更貼近青蚵嫂的需求，他們到東石親自體驗剖蚵工作，深深體會到這個工作的辛苦。獲得經驗後，她們經過多次的修改與嘗試，終於找到確定的設計方向，青蚵嫂也非常感謝他們的付出。 他們的復蚵計畫為東石助入一股新血，也希望將這種理念拋磚引玉，讓設計不再只是紙上談兵。