15 year 10 boys made a return visit to Baker Hughes ( pipeline engineering) in Cramlington.
Working alongside another school, students were split into six groups of five to participate in a Robotics challenge. Taking on the role of a design engineering team, students were tasked to design and build an inspection tool which could be used to assess a pipeline.
The tool had to meet the following specifications:
Able to propel itself along a pipe
Able to climb a steeply inclined pipe
Incorporate a sensor device
Simple robust design
Lightweight (for ease of transportation)
It was amazing to observe all students adopting roles within their teams, many naturally fulfilling the role of project manager, ensuring designers and engineers were sticking to the brief with a one-hour time limit.