University architecture students bring Pac Man to life for Australian Engineering Week

A human-sized robotic Pac Man game is expected to be one of the major highlights of the upcoming Australian Engineering Week in Sydney.

Organised by Engineers Australia, the annual Australian Engineering Week is being held at the Australian Technology Park. Designed and built by CREATE, a student-led group from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the robotic Pac Man game will be showcased on Tuesday 4 August 2015. The robotic game was originally designed for VIVID Sydney.

Intel approached CREATE to design and build the exciting installation from scratch within a five-week period, a challenge that the students - all second and third year undergraduates - took up, managing the entire project from design to robotics programming, and laser cutting Perspex sheets to 3D part-printing.

Measuring 6.25 square metres, the robotic Pac Man game is programmed to run through a game autonomously with Pac Man and the ‘ghosts’ interacting on their own based on intelligent programming and image recognition.

CREATE is an entirely self-funded, student initiated group that focuses on creative ways for undergraduates to engage in hands-on, collaborative projects with real world implications. Nathan Adler, President and founding member of CREATE UNSW will speak at the Australian Engineering Week event about the unique CREATE model from conceptualisation to the wider implications for engineering and society.

According to Bruce Howard, President, Engineers Australia Sydney Division, CREATE UNSW represents a unique and agile approach to learning in line with engineering perspectives. Observing that the concept behind CREATE and the method of delivering their inventive project are prime examples of innovative engineering in communities and infrastructure, Howard adds that CREATE’s Project Pac Man embodies the ideals of Australian Engineering Week, which include celebrating new approaches, learning and adaptation via hands-on initiatives and the evolution of technology.

This year’s Australian Engineering Week is asking ‘What will you discover?’ and answering the question via a variety of events held from Saturday 1 August to Tuesday 11 August.

Chomping through innovation barriers with Project Pac Man will be held on Tuesday 4 August, 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Australian Technology Park.

Visit the Australian Engineering Week website for more information: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/aew-sydney.

Australian Engineering Week is supported by the NSW Government.

Images: UNSW

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