Get Involved - Colleges
There are many reasons for schools to take part. Schools may enter more than one team, with each team consisting of approx. 5 students aged 16-18. We intend to invite 12 teams to the 2009 Student Robotics Competition, an increase on the 9 teams in 2008.
What do the participants get out of it?
- An enormous amount of fun
- A more realistic introduction into real-world engineering
- Team working skills
- Programming skills (most students have no experience of this during school)
- Time management
- Mechanical skills
- Testing
- An interest in pursuing Engineering subjects to a higher level
What do the schools get out of it?
- Value for money! Entering a team cost nothing - Student Robotics is funded by the generosity of local and national companies
- Many schools choose to run Student Robotics as an optional activity within the usual timetable - giving more choice to students
- Develop links with the University of Southampton
- Encourage students to consider Engineering careers
- Media attention at the competition and numerous opportunities for 'in-house' press releases
What help do the participants get?
- Weekly school visits by Student Robotics members
- Technical helps sheets and online resources
- Pre-Competition 'debugging' sessions
- Online forums for inter-team discussion
How does it work?
- The competition starts at the beginning of the school year. Teams are delivered a selection of materials (wood, metal, connectors etc.) as well as identical electronic kit.
- Each team is allocated a budget for purchasing extra materials and components (servos, motors, switches etc.)
- Team members must work together to design their robot, work on a game strategy and then program their machines in time for the competition in Spring 2009.
- All construction must take place within the school's technology/science departments under the appropriate teacher supervision.
- Student Robotics Mentors (all fully CRB checked) try to visit teams on a weekly basis, during their timetabled slot
- Close to the event, we will organise help sessions at a central location to help fix bugs and bring the teams together.
- Teams bring their robots to Southampton University to compete against each other in a serious of games to test their design, programming skills and strategy
What schools say about us...
"Congratulations on an excellent competition. Please pass on our thanks. I'm really hoping it will be run again next year - it has provided a superb focus for an extra-curricular activity." - St Anne’s school (remarking on 2008 competition)
"… this completion was as close to real life as you will get. Again using an analogy, this was like Formula 1 racing, the margin between success and failure is minute, and one small change takes you from elation to disappointment... ...The experience gained was huge, no qualification that I know of could have offered the same rollercoaster ride of developing new skills, team work, positive can do attitude and pushing the student to the limits of what they could have been expected to achieve. " - City College (remarking on 2008 competition)
