The Annual TUKS Robot Race Day took place at the University of Pretoria (TUKS) campus recently, where several teams of third-year engineering students showcased their innovation, programming, and engineering skills.

“Our Annual Robot Race Day provides a platform to stimulate curiosity and creativity, which is crucial for the innovation and entrepreneurship that a career in engineering demands. The project guides aspiring engineers through a carefully planned process to develop a fundamental set of engineering skills, which include hardware and software design skills, systems integration skills, the ability to work and function in a team, time management skills, perseverance and the good old indispensable ‘engineering gut feeling’ which comes only with experience in the execution of engineering projects,” said TUKS Function Head for Undergraduate Studies Professor Tania Hanekom.

Now in its ninth year, the event is coordinated by TUK’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology and offers students the opportunity to put theory into practice. Students are required to build autonomous robotic vehicles, with a sensor system able to detect specific colours on the multi-coloured track-which is developed as part of their analogue electronics module. The Race Day also gives students a platform to work as a team and to demonstrate innovation and technical skills in developing these robots.

Hanekom added that the educational objectives of the Robot Race Day were strongly supported by the university’s partnerships with industry, which provide the necessary resources to maintain this flagship event. RS Components SA Education Specialist Wesley Hood said that nurturing the next generation of engineers was at the top of RS’s agenda. “RS Components’ continued involvement in this project is in line with the company’s policy of supporting both professional and future engineers by giving them access to the components, tools and resources that they require to excel in their endeavours. This is echoed in our and DesignSpark platform which is a free online community for engineers, inventors, and tech enthusiasts from around the world offering free CAD software and other technical resources to help bring ideas to life. With more than 1.2-million members, this community can be of assistance to students and engineers working on real-world applications.  I encourage anyone interested in engineering and inventing to register and be a part of this global community,” he said.