On 14th March, first-year students studying various Mathematics courses at Queen Mary’s College (including Mathematics and Double Mathematics A Level) showcased their exceptional talents at The Rotary Technology Tournament, hosted at Basingstoke College of Technology. This prestigious competition tasks students with designing and constructing a functional model to tackle a practical challenge, judged by professional engineers. Competing in the Advanced category for 16-19 year-olds, QMC entered four teams. Queen Mary’s College were awarded First Prize for both the Best Portfolio and Best Performing Machine.
This year, the students were tasked with creating an emergency rescue vehicle to transport a medical relief package across a canyon to stranded, injured climbers, by means of a cable erected across the ravine. It was required for the emergency aid package to be conveyed across the gorge by a battery-powered delivery vehicle and dropped on the opposite bank before the device returned to its starting point. All participants received their brief in the morning of the tournament, where trials took place from the afternoon to determine the most successful design.
Teams were evaluated on numerous criteria, including teamwork, time management, design quality, model construction, and operational efficiency. When put to the test, all of the QMC teams produced effective vehicles, with three out of the four teams successfully completing the mission. Their motorised devices traversed the canyon and released the package on the other side, before returning to the starting point entirely hands-free. The judges complimented all four QMC teams for their ingenuity and skill in tackling the technical aspects of the challenge.
The winning QMC team produced a sturdy, stable mechanism which performed the task reliably on the first run and secured both top prizes. Aryansh Aggarwal, Claire Hyland, Will Oliver, and Edward Hornby were presented with the winners’ certificates and trophies for Best Design and Best Portfolio by Mayor of Basingstoke, Cllr David Leaks.
With aspirations for careers in engineering, students eagerly seized the opportunity to apply their classroom learning to real-world challenges. This resounding success marks yet another milestone for QMC maths students in their first year at the College. We are proud of all the students for engaging enthusiastically in a truly inspiring event for young people.
