I, U of T Robot

While many of us are still trying to program the clock on our DVD players, a handful of undergraduate U of T students from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Arts & Science are building robots in the off hours.

Students involved in the U of T Robotics Association (UTRA), which was created in 2002, gain valuable experience through activities that range from robot engineering to financial management, and most importantly, real-world application of their education. UTRA members convene regularly to build and maintain robots that are showcased in internationally recognized robotics competitions, including SAE Robot Systems Challenge™, BattleBots, Trinity College Fire Fighting Home Robot Contest and RoboGames.

Together, members not only indulge their love of robotics, but they are also committed to thecommunity through high school outreach programs, which promote both the fields of Engineering and robotics and the University at large. UTFIRST, an UTRA mentorship program, gives members the opportunity to share their knowledge with high school students who are participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

When asked what competitions the Association is currently preparing for, Ramy Ghattas, Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, UTRA President, reported that the club is planning to attend the RoboGames—the largest robotics competition in the world—in San Francisco, California, in June 2008. “We are currently working on three projects for RoboGames,” reports Ghattas. “We will compete with two combat robots, one fire fighting robot and a team of five soccer robots.”

Ghattas has been involved with UTRA since his first year in Engineering at U of T in 2004. He was initially a member of the design and build groups, progressing to the mechanical group for machining in second year, co-president in his third year and now President while he is participating in his Professional Experience Year (PEY).

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