How do you learn the latest in artificial intelligence and robotics? Win at the international RoboCup competition, where teams from the world's top universities compete at robot soccer. Initially, computer science and engineering students programmed 'dogs' to play tactically and intelligently, detecting and kicking the ball, and - importantly - recognizing when a kick comes from its own team member. More recently the team has developed two-legged soccer playing robots. www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~robocup

The UNSW Solar Racing Team is designing and building a new batmobile-inspired solar car to compete in the World Solar Championships. Their previous car Sunswift III is still in action and will be used for driver training and testing purposes. Students from a range of faculties - from engineering to arts and business - volunteer their time and skills to the success of this state-of-the-art solar powered car. www.sunswift.com

BLUEsat is a student managed project that aims to design, build and operate a low-Earth- orbit digital amateur radio satellite weighing approximately13kg. The solar-powered satellite will carry a flight computer, radio transmitters and receivers, power control system, battery packs and magnets to passively align the structure with the Earth's magnetic field, and will be controlled via a dedicated communications groundstation here at UNSW. www.bluesat.unsw.edu.au

Each year, the Redback Racing team designs, manufactures, promotes, tests and races a small, open-wheeled racing car to compete in the annual Australasian competition. The cars are based around a 600 cc engine, with some restrictions on the vehicle specifications, but basically free reign for engineering students to conceive and build the best possible racing car.
www.redbackracing.unsw.edu.au

The MAVSTAR (Micro Aerial Vehicles for Search, Tracking And Reconnaissance) project in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering has developed a team of cooperative micro aerial and unmanned ground vehicles. These small vehicles, suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments, use both human and artificial intelligence to perform tasks such as identifying and locating targets, monitoring utilities and cinematography.
www.cmr.mech.unsw.edu.au/mavstar

The Developing Country Project makes a significant difference to people's lives and living conditions. Second year thesis students doing Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering are able to get involved. The project aims to assist villagers in developing countries to gain access to electricity to satisfy their energy needs in a clean and sustainable manner. Student work includes photovoltaic module construction, encapsulation, testing, as well as designing solar lighting systems, solar electric lanterns and solar cookers. The current developing country project involves installing solar power in a village in Vanuatu. Past projects have included Nicaragua, Nepal, and a solar project in tsunami-affected Sri Lanka in 2006.
Visit Developing Country Project website

Second-year engineering students in the Photovoltaics program are designing a trailer that can act as a processing unit for biodiesel - made from waste oil taken from food outlets on campus - and also as a travelling education tool. The process heat for the reaction will be provided by a solar hot water system, and the electrical power for the monitors and pumps by a photovoltaic system. Once the trailer has been tested, there are plans to take it to high schools to demonstrate renewable energy and sustainable energy engineering principles.
Visit BioDiesel website

The UNSW chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) began in 2004. Its objective is to enable students to learn about the application of sustainable engineering solutions to the problems of the developing world. The UNSW chapter currently directs the Development Education Expedition to the Philippines and had its first Voluntary International Placement in 2008 - an IT placement in Laos. Email unsw@ewb.org.au