Department of Applied Hydro-Air Mechanics and Mechanotronics IME is conducting for six years Ukrainian student Olympiad "Mechatronics in Engineering."
Feature of the tasks of this Olympiad is that their implementation requires a combination of theoretical knowledge, logic and engineering abilities of students. Based on the knowledge of the theory participants develop fundamental solution to the problem and implement it in practice. Participants may even without jury verify the correctness of his decisions, checking if the system works or not. The competition consists of several stages that include tasks with pneumatic or electro - pneumatic and programming of the controller for problems of hydraulics or pneumatic. Contest tasks is elected by lot in the presence of all teams, when they are decided the problem of complexity, the order in which they need to be solved, the teams - neighbors in the subgroups of competition.
To win, the teams must pass four exams at every stage - from the theoretical solution of the problem on paper to implement and adjust it at Festo stand. It is important to be able to work in a team - to split tasks between team members, interact with specific tasks and combine all of the automation tasks in a solution for industry. A great importance is given to the time to do the job, because a coordination and dexterity in some cases may be crucial to gain victory
Every year there are at the Olympics "novices", which in their universities have no possibility to become acquainted with the equipment of mechatronic systems, and only after the competition get an idea of how to put their theoretical knowledge into practical results. It is a grateful duty for teachers and enthusiasts to provide such opportunities for students and training teams to participate in various competitions mechatronic.
Each year, a number of teams participating in the Olympics is growing. There is an interesting trend - team leaders who at least once visited the competition, are coming back for more - their competition excitement, desire to win are rising. Another trend observed in recent years - there are team leaders who were here before as the participants.
By the way, the team leaders are part of the jury and must evaluate the results of their team just objectively as the results of teams colleagues.
For me, as the participant of the first Olympiad, it was interesting to watch the Olympians. I understand the experience of each participant as winners and losers. Six years ago we also lively and recklessly solved competitive tasks, together worried for victory.
This year, during debriefing events, students, participants proposed to amend the next Olympics - add a stage of team leaders competition, so that students will be judges and their leaders - members, promising, in turn, the same support and experience, they provide their wards.
The team of Donbass and Donetsk universities which includes Juri Schenk, Eugene Lipinski, Alexander Chuprin under the leadership of T.O.Ustymenko won the first place in the team competition.
The team of NTUU "KPI" consisting of students Yuri Kornienko, Oleg Gluschenko Oleg, Oleg Kravchuk led by O.S.Hanpantsurova received the second place.
First time prize-winner was the team of the National Institute of Food Technology (Department of Integrated Automated Control Systems), consisting of students Polupan Vladimir, Yaroslav Shepel, Dmitry Syumachenko led by Ju.B. Belyaev.
Congratulations to the winners! Good luck to all participants Olympics in further education and personal development! We hope that participation in the competition will be for them an important stage in development as professionals and inspiration for creating not only intelligent but wise mechatronic systems! See you in 2015!