Products
16.03.2023
Balluff shows the way for future development engineers
Bringing autonomous driving to life: At the 14th RobonAUT competition, students from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics competed with their autonomous robots. Balluff accompanied the event as the main sponsor for the sixth time.
While the development of autonomous cars is one of the main goals for the major players in the automotive industry, it still seems like science fiction for laypeople in Hungary. However, this became a reality on February 11 at the 14th RobonAUT competition where students from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics competed with their autonomous robots. As a major sponsor, Balluff was present at the event for the sixth time.
Balluff supports young talent
Balluff has always played an important role in supporting young talent, as they have been collaborating with prestigious universities in Budapest for a long time, participating in educational programs of engineering faculties and assisting numerous students as their thesis supervisor, as well as providing scholarships. Furthermore, the company opened its Budapest office last year to strengthen these initiatives, providing even more opportunities for future development engineers.
On February 11, eight teams participated in the final, but the competition was preceded by six months of preparation. Students in the master's program built their robots during this time, which were tasked with navigating through a partially unknown obstacle course in the lobby of the Q building of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics as quickly as possible, preferably without human intervention. In addition to providing financial support, Balluff also contributed to the competition with its products, as Balluff sensors were also used on the obstacle course.
You can plan for the long term with Balluff
The exciting challenge provided a great opportunity for students to expand their practical knowledge and meet corporate sector representatives, including Balluff.
"The most talented students from BME are showcased at this event, who have already developed the expertise that is essential for product development at Balluff. With our presence, we aim to introduce our Hungarian activities to a wider audience of students and draw their attention to the exciting engineering tasks we offer," said Zoltán Wimmer, the Development Manager of the Veszprém site, who personally attended the event and presented the awards to the winners.
Exciting competition due to technical progress
The expert highlighted that the competition brings more excitement year after year, as the vehicles are capable of performing increasingly complex tasks independently.
"I was very impressed with the creative control algorithms that ensured the achievement of as many points as possible on the skill track. This was not an easy task because the organizers sent a 'pirate' car onto the track, which tried to steal points from the competitors. It mattered a lot in the results which team could minimize this in the most creative way. Following the latest trends in the competition, some teams had four-wheel steering cars, and it was interesting to see how this provided an advantage in the speed stages” emphasized the development leader.
If you're curious about the winners, click here! If you want to watch the video of the competition, we recommend the following page.
