Seven weeks to build a robot

Students in mechanical engineering at Reykjavik University recently took part in the Mechatronics Great Race, a robotics competition organized by Dr. Joseph Foley, an assistant professor at the university’s Department of Engineering.

Students enrolled in the T-411-MECH course spent seven weeks developing and improving a mobile robot capable of following multicolored lines on an oval track of varying curvature. The students built their robots using a provided kit of parts based around a Raspberry Pi Zero W.  

“We compete with ‘rovers,’ and this ‘rover’ is basically just a race car that uses sensors and a Raspberry Pi computer to navigate around the track,” said Nökkvi Marz Þórleifsson, the winner of the competition, which took place on October 2.

Competing for the fastest lap

The Mechatronics Great Race, which was held for the fourth time this year, challenged participants to determine which robot could get around quickest when the gate opened, without going off the line.

As mentioned above, Nökkvi Marz took first place, Sigurður Steinsson came second, and Björn Þór Hrafnkelsson finished third. All three are students of mechanical engineering.

Watch a video on the Mechatronics Great Race here: