National success in robot competition for second year engineering students
Engineering students scooped both first and second prizes in the hotly-contested national Eurobot robotics contest beating teams from other universities*; they will go on to represent the UK in the international final in Switzerland next month.
Notes for editors
Eleven teams from Southampton entered the Eurobot contest at Middlesex University. As part of Dr Stephen Prior’s second year module, Systems Design and Computing, they had to build a small robot using an Arduino processor for a brain, design a propulsion system, add arms and sensors, then programme the machine to pick and place items, competing against the clock with another robot. They carried out the challenge in the Design Workshops and Studios, supported by the technical staff.
“It’s an exciting challenge for the students to start from scratch and construct a complex robot in a short time,” explains Stephen. “Last year we came first, second and third and took 12th place at the world final in Dresden.”
In all, 72 of the students who opted for Systems Design and Computing chose the robot project, others built a wing and control system for an unmanned plane, a 3D printer or a sophisticated loudspeaker. During the module, the groups developed their teamworking and time management skills; they were also encouraged to seek sponsorship for parts and components.
*The winning team was ‘Chariots of Wire’ - Simon Kirby, Anders Mundal, James Nash, Liam Nash and Abigail Basham. The second prize winners were ‘Crunch Time’ - Luke Stoneman, Mark Whistler and Matt Carr (third years who first entered in 2014 and wanted to try again).