21 October 2005
Electrical engineering students who have designed 'mouse' robots and miniature wheelchairs will race their prototypes around a complex maze as part of an annual design competition at Monash University today.
The students will race the tiny rodent robots and palm-sized wheelchairs around a specially built eight-metre-long maze that contains, spirals, ramps, cliffs and other perils.
The competition is a component of Monash's Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering Design subject, taught in the Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering degree.
Competition organizer, Dr Andrew Price, is a lecturer in the Engineering faculty.
"The mouse robots are so-called because they run around a maze, just as actual mice do in behavioural studies," Dr Price said.
"We have a total of 25 robots to race this year and it is a lot of fun to watch because the students have designed some ingenious machines that can travel over and around all the obstacles really quickly.
"The tiny wheelchairs are miniaturized prototypes of models that are designed to be guided by riders flexing their shoulder muscles. They would be ideal for disabled people who have neither the use of their arms nor legs," Dr Price said.
"It's an exciting competition to watch and it is also the culmination of an entire semester's work. The students find they are doing things with electrical and computer systems design that they did not think possible."
What: Miniature robot and wheelchair maze race
When: 2pm -- 3.30 pm. Friday 21 October 2005
Where: Room 223, Building 72, Monash University, Clayton campus
For more information contact Ms Robyn Anns, Media Communications, on +61 3 9905 9317 or 0417 568 781.
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