Ellen Wilkinson students have been making robots

Girls from the Ellen Wilkinson School in Acton have been displaying their robotic prowess at the Royal Society.

Each year, as part of its education outreach programme, the Royal Society awards around 40 schools grants of up to £3,000 to enable pupils, aged 5-18, to carry out science, technology, engineering and maths projects in collaboration with practising scientists.

For the past six months students from Ellen Wilkinson girls school in Queen's Drive have been working with Dr Luis Fuente Fernandez, Postdoctoral Researcher, from the Department for Mechanical Engineering and Mathematical Science, Oxford Brookes University.

Nine students from across four teams designed, built, and tested autonomous machines which can navigate their environment, can pick up and throw a ball and even lift another robot off the ground.

Using robot kits the teams developed their own unique designs and then tested their robots against each other. This project, in partnership with researchers, enabled young scientists to explore the science and engineering challenges associated with artificial intelligence and robotics.

The girls attended with computing teacher Alan Knifton who said “Membership of the Robot Club has been a very popular activity for the girls with most attending every lunchtime. They have been working very enthusiastically to find the optimum method of picking up balls and devising a suitable mechanism for throwing them.”

Ealing Central and Acton MP, Rupa Huq who met the girls at The Royal Society Partnership Grants Conference said :

''I’m proud to support Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls which is one of just 14 schools who presented their research findings at a poster reception as part of this year’s Partnerships Grants Conference. The UK is facing a worrying skills shortage. One million new science, engineering and technology professionals will be required in the UK by 2020, yet too few young people are studying science and maths beyond age 16 to fill these roles.

''The Royal Society’s Partnership Grants scheme gives students the chance to see where science and maths can take them. Students participate in research and learn about science and the scientific process. It’s great to see girl power in action at Ellen Wilkinson School to see the results of their project and to hear what they learnt from working with a real-life scientist, seeing as many of the other competitors were male”.

5th February 2016