Student robotics teams begin their challenge

Seventy A-level students from schools and colleges around Southampton visited the University to begin planning for the Student Robotics Competition.

The Competition is being organized by a group of University of Southampton students, many of who are in the School of Electronics and Computer Science. At an event held in the University last week the A-level students came to terms with the reality of what they will be taking part in over the next six months.

Their task will be to design and build a robot that will be able to perform a number of tasks and to see it perform in a grand final against all the other robots. The building and design will include a whole range of skills, and the A-level students will be supported throughout by a University student mentor who will visit them every week.

The first event of the competition gave the A-level students, from schols and colleges in Southampton, Fareham, Brockenhurst and Totton, an opportunity to build a simple machine using cardboard and string, and then in a series of presentations they heard exactly how they will approach the task.

The Competition is sponsored by the Motorola Foundation, the School of Electronics and Computer Science, and the Southampton University Students' Union.