Five aspiring engineers from UTC Swindon took a top prize in the Royal Navy engineering challenge finals, a national STEM competition.

The team of year 10 students won the 14-to-16 age category, in which they had to design an unmanned, remotely operated system that would clear objects from the seabed. The students had just one day to build, refine and test their invention, alongside preparing a presentation about their design and approach.

Their invention impressed judges the most out of the 75 teams competing at the finals in Portsmouth, as well as clearing the most objects from a replica sea bed set up in a 3 x 3.4m test tank.

“They showed immense technical skill, determination and ingenuity to win the challenge against tough competition. These are exactly the kind of qualities that we need in the engineers of the future and as a school we are hugely proud of them,” said Jon Oliver, principal of the UTC.