The people of Gondwana need an innovative engineering solution 

For the past 30 years the people of Gondwana, a small planet orbiting a sun on the outer fringes of our galaxy, have triumphed over their new planet’s harsh environment. They have overcome complex problems using only the resources they have at hand and assistance from the brilliant minds of engineers from Earth.

These engineers have traversed impossible ravines with limited resources, contained dangerous nuclear contaminations and solved engineering feats that have made people’s lives easier and safer. 

Once again the people of Gondwana are faced with uncertainty… and once again student engineers from Earth are here to help.

The 2018 Mission

Project “PRAISE” – Powerpack Relocation Avoiding Imminent Starvation and Enervation

Context

Gondwana is a small planet orbiting a sun on the outer fringes of our Galaxy. Gondwana’s climate is changing due to the release of methane from it’s oceans, which is causing the planet to warm. They are in the midst of the worst drought in history and irrigation has dried up aquifers normally abundant with fresh water. Starvation is imminent unless essential water is found for their crops. Fortunately, teams of engineering students from Earth are about to visit Gondwana as part of their work experience programmes. Over the last 30 years, visiting engineering students have rendered invaluable assistance with such engineering problems, and on this thirty-first occasion, the Gondwanans again seek help from these budding engineers.

Dilemma

Three water bores, each having a powerpack and pumping station, have been sucked dry but by using new satellite and geotechnical technology, the Gondwanans have located a plentiful aquifer. High flow pumps have been installed in the pump bunker but it’s powerpack was overloaded and it exploded. If they can move a powerpack from a dry well to the new aquifer a famine could be averted.

Challenge

Situated on a plateau, a bunker has been made above the new aquifer and ONE of three powerpacks needs to be collected off a nearby well tower and placed in the bunker. Unfortunately, the largest powerpack that will drive the biggest pumps is in the most difficult location for collection and will also be the most difficult to place in the bunker. A garage providing protection near the location can be used as a workshop from which to deploy a system that will collect, transport and place the powerpack into the bunker. The challenge is to design and build a system to autonomously collect and place ONE powerpack assembly that comprises of three orbs, three cups and one MDF base. To avoid a catastrophic environmental disaster the energy orbs must not be dropped.

Objective

The objective is to design, build and demonstrate a prototype collection and placement system. Points will be scored when your autonomous system collects and places a powerpack with all energy orbs, into the bunker as quickly as possible.