University of Gibraltar Celebrate Official Opening of the Maritime Academy Simulation Centre
8 September 2026 | NEWS
The 3-day project, led by School of Business lecturer Jonathan Pennell, covered the basics of programming with Arduino boards, before moving on to working with a variety of sensors: logging the information and presenting it on LCD screens as well as online dashboards using the Arduino Cloud. Then, using the University’s 3D printer they were able to design and print a custom board to hold all the electronics safely and be securely attached to the coral tanks. Once attached, the Arduino boards measure room and tank temperature, as well as humidity and light intensity of the room they are in – providing real time data to those working in the lab.
The aim of this project was to give students nearing University hands-on experience building real projects for a real purpose, showing the students that digital skills have a much broader range of applications and careers outside of traditional software development. With both of these in mind, the students were provided a unique and engaging experience in which they learned to put a variety of skills to use, and how those skills can help benefit biological research.
Thank you to the Digital Skills Academy for providing the equipment, the University of Gibraltar for providing the space and purpose, and the Argus Group for helping make this happen.
