Digital Technology students inspired at the University of Auckland

At the beginning of the visit, students were treated to a talk by NASA engineer Vandi Verma. Verma is known for driving the Mars rovers, notably Curiosity and Perseverance, using software that she co-wrote and developed. She explained how the rovers are able to extract samples from the surface of Mars, as well as answer the big questions; namely, is there any life on Mars?

Students then learnt to work as teams to engineer a workable bridge. A highlight was the Macleans College students building the strongest bridge, winning them some goodies and prizes such as bags and stickers for their efforts.

Finally, the students learnt how to program a robot to manoeuvre a bridge and escape a hazardous maze.

All in all, the trip was not only fun but educational for the students and hopefully marks a tradition for budding Macleans College computer whizzes in the years to come.