UTC Swindon students sweep the board in prestigious engineering accolades

A major engineering challenge taken on by UTC Swindon Y12 students has been recognised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

The organisation awarded their projects first, second and third places in its Presenting Around the World Competition.

The projects put forward involved a driving simulator the students had created from a car donated by Honda and an F24 electric racing car.

Students had worked on the cars as a voluntary combined engineering/digital project, setting to work stripping out all expendables – such as air bags, steering column and pedals – and replacing them with electronic parts to create an interactive driving simulator, which runs from the mains.

UTC Head of School Neil Pouney said: “It is up and running and is really interactive. The big screen and sound make it a really immersive experience. But what is most pleasing is this is a vehicle (excuse the pun) for trying out new ideas and techniques. 

"From learning how to safely remove air bags, the entire steering column, all the dash, to coming across challenges like the heat generated by the electronics and how to keep the cabin cool. The students have even rigged up visual aids such as dash-mounted rev and brake displays by getting into the software and programming Arduino to replicate the visuals.”

He added that the engineering challenges were adding up to widen students' engineering knowledge as a whole, and were of a kind not offered at most mainstream schools.

Neil said: “I was really proud how the team presented to a very tough judging panel from the IET. They were so professional and passionate in their delivery." 

The prize money - £180, £120 and £100 will be used to help the students take their projects even further.