This week we’ll be catching up with Tom, who is now an Electronics Consultant. Tom competed in SR2014 and SR2015 as a part of team PSC from Peter Symonds College and is now a volunteer.

How did you first get involved in (competing with) Student Robotics?

I was a competitor in Student robotics in 2014 and 2015, while I was at Peter Symonds College, Winchester (PSC). During both years I was involved with all aspects of the robot build, alongside running our social media accounts and moved on to lead the team in 2015. After starting at the University of Southampton, I volunteered to help out at the competition.

What do you do as a volunteer for Student Robotics?

​I currently mentor 2 teams helping them get the most out of Student Robotics. Alongside this, I help develop the current and future kit as a part of the Kit Team. You will likely find me at Southampton/Cambridge Tech Days and the competition, say hello if you see me!

What is your favourite part about volunteering for Student Robotics?

Seeing students achieve amazing things from engineering that they never thought was possible. Student robotics is the reason I ended up going into engineering, and I hope to help the next generation see that engineering really is for anyone and everyone!

What do you do for a living?

I currently work as an electronics consultant for The Technology Partnership (TTP), Europe’s leading technology and product development company. TTP works closely with its clients to create disruptive products based on advances in technology and engineering innovation. TTP’s technology lies behind many products and processes in areas as diverse as communications, digital printing, instrumentation, consumer & industrial products, biotechnology, medical devices, cleantech and security systems.

What life advice would you give to yourself aged 16-18 knowing what you know now?

Don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes things are presented to you on a silver platter, this could be opportunities or knowledge, other times they are not. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask, the worst thing that can happen is they say no, and that isn’t something to be afraid of.

Student Robotics is 100% free to enter and provides exciting real world engineering challenges for students aged 16-19. If you’re interested in taking part you can find out more on our Compete page. If your organisation is interested in sponsoring Student Robotics you can find all the information on our Sponsor page or reach out direct to fundraising@studentrobotics.org

Student Robotics 2022 was Kickstarted on Saturday on our livestream. It was great to see the excitement building for our first in-person competition since SR2019.

Our game this year, This Way Up, challenges teams to collect the most tin cans from the arena and ensure that they’re up the right way for maximum points. When in a team’s scoring zone, correctly oriented cans are worth 3 points, upside down cans are worth one point, and cans lying on their side are worth nothing. However, not all cans are created equal: Tin cans on the arena floor start upside down, but those on the raised platform in the centre are already the right way up, making them harder to get but easier to score points with. Our teams can detect a cans orientation with an insulating band along the bottom - how they choose to use this is up to them! Teams are scored at the end of the match for collecting the most points. Full details, including the prizes available this year, are available in the rulebook.

This year’s teams have already been strategising their approach, and we can’t wait to see their progress over the year!

If you weren’t able to attend Kickstart this year, or would like a recap, you can:

• watch our livestream where we explain the game and how this year’s competition will work.
• download the presentation in which we explain this year’s game and how the competition is running this year.
• download the microgames which are small activities designed to let you become familiar with the Student Robotics simulator.

We look forward to seeing your progress!

In this new blog series we’ll be catching up with some of Student Robotics ex-competitors to see what they are now up to and how competing in Student Robotics has helped them to get there.

This week we’ll be catching up with Becky, who is now a PhD Student at Sussex Uni. Becky competed in SR2015 and SR2016 as a part of team CLY from Collyer’s Sixth Form College.

How did you first get involved in Student Robotics?

My college had a Robotics club which I joined during my first year and we entered Student Robotics both years I was there. I helped with the mathematical parts of the code, as well as arguably the most important part of decorating the robot!

What are you doing now?

After completing my MSc in Maths, I am now doing a PhD in Maths at Sussex University. I am looking into batteries; what can we change to make them more effective, as well as epidemiology; how an infection will spread through groups of people and how long will the infection last.

How did Student Robotics help you get to where you are today?

Student Robotics has really helped me career wise, it’s a great talking point, especially during interviews. Being able to work on a real world engineering project with a deadline was a fantastic experience.

What was your favourite part about competing in Student Robotics?

It gave me a solid group of friends that I’m still in contact with and we had great fun designing and building a robot together. It was also very satisfying watching our creation come to life. Once I left college, I started volunteering for Student Robotics and it’s been just as fun and rewarding!

What advice would you give to yourself aged 16-18 knowing what you know now?

I wasn’t very confident when I was younger and I was very nervous about joining clubs and activities. I’ve never regretted any of the things I did end up taking part in so my advice would be to not be afraid to join anything that looks interesting!

Student Robotics is 100% free to enter and provides exciting real world engineering challenges for students aged 16-19. If you’re interested in taking part you can find out more on our Compete page. If your organisation is interested in sponsoring Student Robotics you can find all the information on our Sponsor page or reach out direct to fundraising@studentrobotics.org