ASME Engineering Festivals® Announces Global Champions in Student Design Competition Finals

Three Engineering Student Teams Emerge Victorious from Robotics Tournament at
International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition
 

NEW YORK, November 26, 2019 – After a long day of intense matchups, last-minute repairs, and lots of camaraderie, three engineering student teams prevailed and were named global champions of the ASME Engineering Festivals® (E-Fests) Student Design Competition Finals, an elimination-style robotics tournament held Nov. 9 in Salt Lake City at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition.

The 2019 winners are: in third place, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;

in second place, North Carolina State University;

and, in first place, University of Florida.

The competition consisted of a “pick and place race” that challenged the imagination and technical design skills of undergraduate aspiring engineers.  Teams were required to create a robot that could quickly but carefully secure balls of various sizes that were balanced on stands in the middle of a flat playing surface. The student teams controlled their robots remotely, directing them to collect as many balls as possible and place them in their team’s collection area.  Teams raced against the clock – and gravity: Competition rules specify that once a ball hits the ground, it is considered out of play, and once time runs out, the round is over. 

The 14 qualifying teams won regional competitions at one of four ASME E-Fests™ held around the world in 2019. In total, more than 130 teams competed. The finalists included:
Brigham Young University – Idaho (U.S.)
California State University, Northridge (U.S.)
Colorado School of Mines (U.S.)
Eastern Washington University (U.S.)
Escuela Politécnica Nacional (Ecuador)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)
Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Juarez (Mexico)
North Carolina State University (U.S.)
Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (Peru)
Universidad Autónoma del Carmen (Mexico)
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE (Ecuador)
University of Florida (U.S.)
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (U.S.)
Utah State University (U.S.)

The Student Design Competition is one of several competitions in the three-day E-Fest program, which also includes the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC), Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D Challenge (IAM3D), new Elevator Pitch Competition, and Oral Competition (sponsored by the ASME Old Guard Committee), as well as technology and innovation "lightning talks” delivered by industry pioneers, career advice and mentoring, interactive workshops and sessions, and entertainment.

“The energy from the students at E-Fest is palpable and the competition is intense,” says ASME Executive/CEO Tom Costabile. “ASME is proud to play a leadership role in convening this forum where classroom concepts are put to the test and students showcase their creative thinking skills, while also learning from and networking with industry professionals. It’s a great opportunity for professional growth and leadership training for future engineers.”

For the second consecutive year, Siemens is a platinum sponsor of the ASME E-Fest event series.

“The E-Fest movement demonstrates the unique value that ASME delivers in bringing industry and academia together to prepare the next generation workforce, and to empower today’s engineering students with hands-on experience, networking and career preparation,” says John Miller, senior vice president of mainstream engineering at Siemens PLM Software.

In 2020, E-Fests will be held at: Marwadi University in Rajkot, India; Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.; and Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, Ga.  For more information, visit efests.asme.org.

About ASME E-Fests
ASME Engineering Festivals™ (E-Fests) are regional events for engineering students that include design competitions, career development workshops, access to thought leaders and innovators in various engineering fields, and networking opportunities. E-Fests also extend beyond the in-person events and provide online content, resources and a community that enables students to foster innovation, network with key players in the industry, connect with peers and celebrate engineering.

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. www.asme.org

Media Contacts

Monica Shovlin
MCShovlin Communications LLC (for ASME)
monica@mcshovlin.com
+1.541.554.3796