This week we’ll be catching up with Holly, a PhD Student at Imperial specialising in Experimental Solid State Physics. Holly competed in SR2015 and SR2016 as a part of team CLY from Collyer’s Sixth Form. She is now a volunteer for Student Robotics and a member of the fundraising team.

How did you first get involved in Student Robotics?

There was a Robotics and Raspberry Pi club at my sixth form, run by my computing teacher, Diane, who is now one of the SR Trustees. She supervised us on several different computing projects, and we entered teams into the SR competition. I also had several amazing maths and electronics teachers who were interested in helping to mentor us for the competition.

What are you doing now?

After sixth form I studied an undergraduate and integrated masters degree in Physics, and then went on to Imperial College, where I am now, studying for a PhD in Physics. My work focuses on nanomagnetism, and the interaction between magnets and light.

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

Student Robotics helped a lot in getting me where I am today. The competition is a great thing to put on your CV and to talk about in university/job interviews, but the experience itself was also hugely beneficial for me. The SR process is a great combination of Electronics, Computer Science, Maths, Physics, and Engineering, all skills which I improved in as a result of competing; you can also dabble in Marketing when trying to secure sponsors for your teams.

What was your favourite part about competing in Student Robotics?

I really enjoyed the entire competition cycle, from start to finish, but my favourite part had to be the competition itself. The event was very exciting, and our team had a lot of fun over the weekend! I also met a great group of friends, many of who now also volunteer for SR.

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

Do Student Robotics again!

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

We’re pleased to announce this year’s competition dates.

The Student Robotics 2022 competition will be held at Southampton University on the 23rd and 24th of April 2022.

These two days mark the culmination of a year’s work, over which the teams have pulled together their design, engineering, and programming skills. Our teams will work hard to push their robots to the limit, making repairs between matches, and tweaking strategies as they learn about their competitors. We will finish the weekend with the finals where the best bots will be named victorious.

For more information, please see the competition event page.

See you there!

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