A U of T Engineering crew was one of only two Canadian teams to win gold at RoboGames in California, North America’s largest robotics competition with its mix of engineering, motorsport and boxing.

“We are really proud, because we were the only Canadian university team [in our weight class],” said team member Wee Sheng (Wilson) Tan (MechE 1T2 + PEY). The team behind TSA Inspected went into the big battle undefeated, with an 11-0 record, and battled 23 teams to win the gold.

Winning the 120-pound category for the second year in a row, the remote-control robot called TSA Inspected was built by Paul Giampuzzi (MechE 0T8 + PEY). It may look like an upside-down hibachi on two wheels, but don’t be fooled by the simplicity. TSA Inspected defended its title by flipping opponents and avoiding any costly battle scars. Giampuzzi attributes it to “constraint-based engineering.”

Other members of the crew, from the University of Toronto Robotics Association (UTRA), were Wen Cheng Chong (EngSci 1T2 + PEY) and Rehman Merali, (UTIAS PhD Candidate).

Read the story in U of T eBulletin and learn more about the team on the Utra website.