Design Challenge
The purpose of the IMechE's Design Challenge competition is to simulate a real-world project, allowing students to develop cross-functional skills. Working in teams, students will design, build and test a self-contained device from a precise Project Specification.
Universities, Colleges, BTECH and other science educational institutes can run internal qualifiers to select up to two teams per category to progress to their respective Regional Finals. The winning team from each region progresses to the national final.
The full device specification and Challenge rules are available on the Design Challenge website. We accept up to two teams of maximum six students from the same university for each competition category; to register your interest ahead of the official registration launch in September 2025, simply email the Design Challenge team (designchallenge@imeche.org).
This year the challenge is to design, build and test a device to simulate a wire rope climbing robot, with the potential to perform unmanned non-destructive testing on suspended bridges ropes or depose optic fibre cables on existing over the ground lines. Examples are SKY Wire from Inspection GC, SkyWrap from AFL and others.
The competing device should be capable of undertaking a repeatable climbing movement externally to a commercial pipe fixed vertically, with an increasing load attached to it. The device must be totally self-contained and the method of starting it must be attached to, and travel with, the device at all times.
Points will be awarded for the time device takes to return to the starting point, delay – maintaining the engagement with the top barrier; delay – maintaining engagement with intermediate target position (if applicable), accuracy on the intermediate target position (if applicable), releasing the load attached.
We look forward to welcoming student teams from universities around the country, please email the Design Challenge team with any questions you may have.