IN FOCUS 7 I was responsible for the overall system integration of our flying robot. The rst step was to design and re ne all the control algorithms. A er that, I had to integrate di erent modules into the system and undertake the debugging. This was the most di cult part of the preparations. Even if all the modules worked well independently, problems continuously appeared during system integration. We all had to think hard about the causes and solutions. This forced every team member to learn more peripheral knowledge rather than focusing on our own specialties, which was a very fruitful process. The competition was a wonderful experience, not just because we won an award but because we were able to exchange ideas with fellow competitors who share similar interests. This strengthened my passion for aerial robotics and helped me to appreciate other teams’ work. entered the School of Engineering as a postgraduate in September a er taking my undergraduate studies in Automation at Harbin Institute of Technology. I was keen to study at HKUST, given the high quality of its engineering research, and to experience the unique East-West culture of Hong Kong. The focus of my research is estimation and control of aerial robots, which I hope can eventually be applied to industry. In line with these practical aspirations, soon a er joining HKUST, I became a member of the University team taking part in the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC). This took place at Beihang University in Beijing. It was the rst engineering competition I participated in as a postgraduate and we won the rst prize! The annual IARC aims to boost technological creativity by setting challenges related to aerial robotics design and providing a platform for aviation enthusiasts to share their knowledge. The task set for IARC was to develop totally autonomous flying robots – the rst time that interaction between ground and flying robots had been included in an IARC challenge. The contest required a single autonomous aerial robot to herd as many autonomous ground robots as possible across a boundary in minutes. Engineering, we managed to build the most e cient solar car in terms of energy in the contest and win the Energy E cient Design Award. The solar car competition was a life-changing event for me. Not only did I bene t from the hands-on experience of building a real car, but it also acted as a catalyst for my future career development. Ahead of graduation, I received an o er from Honda Motor Co Ltd to work as an engineer in Japan. I strongly recommend all students to participate in competitions during your years at HKUST. The experience is sure to be unforgettable. s a car enthusiast who has dreamed of building a real car, entering HKUST, one of the world’s top universities for engineering, had always been my holy grail. During my four years at the University, I accumulated invaluable experiences through participating in both local and international engineering competitions. In my nal year, I was thrilled to hear from Prof Robin Ma, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, that the Hong Kong government was organizing its rst solar car competition. Not long a er learning the good news, I invited several classmates to join me in entering this pioneering competition, organized by the Environment Bureau and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Eventually, we gathered together a group of , and named ourselves ‘Sunstrider’. Creating a team was only the rst of many challenges we needed to face in the next nine months. Throughout the preparatory stages, there were many di erences of opinion among team members in areas ranging from prototype-building to buying solar panels, purchasing motors to where to put the solar panels. However, as I learned from the competition, one of the best ways to solve such problems is to articulate the reason and ultimate aim behind every opinion or action you contribute to your team. In other words, you constantly have to make sure you understand and are understood by your teammates. A er all, we all had the same goal – to draw the world’s attention to an eye-popping solar car built by HKUST engineering students. Along the way, the team engaged in various tests and manufacturing, including solar panel absorbance and conversion testing, aerodynamics simulations, stress testing, carbon ber manufacturing, battery loading testing, solar tracking testing, and more. And thanks to solid support from our professors and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace A I Tianbo (second le ) and his team prepare for action at the International Aerial Robotics Competition. Tianbo Liu MPhil, Electronic and Computer Engineering ( ) International Aerial Robotics Competition – Asia/Paci c Aaron Chung Faat Yau BEng, Mechanical Engineering ( ) Sunstrider Team New Energy New Generation Solar Car Competition Aaron (right of solar car, kneeling) and Sunstrider team members, together with Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering faculty and sta .
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