Students from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Robotics and Mechanics Laboratory have traveled the United States and abroad this summer, winning a number of honors for robotics research and development.

Working under the guidance of Robotics and Mechanics Laboratory director Dennis Hong, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering , and graduate student Karl Muecke, a group of undergraduate students formed Team SPRInt (Soccer Playing Robot with Intelligence) and created the autonomous humanoid robot "DARwIN" (Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence).

Developed by the team to operate without human intervention, DARwIn can stand up on its own and locate and kick a tiny soccer ball toward a goal.  DARwIn was the only U.S. entry invited to compete in the Humanoid Division of the international RoboCup 2007, held in July in Atlanta.

The team's undergraduate leader, Robert Mayo of Midlothian, Va., completed his bachelor's degree at Virginia Tech in May and is currently a graduate student in mechanical engineering working with Hong in the Robotics and Mechanics Laboratory.

The other mechanical engineering undergraduates on team SPRInt were
==> Abhijit Chakraborty of Germantown, Md.
==> Marilyn Duncan of Annandale, Va.
==> Andrew Lynch of Millersville, Md.
==> Ryan Misjan of Cary, N.C.
==> Laurence O'Neill of Haymarket, Va.
==> Bill Pannell of Knoxville, Tenn.
==> Eric Steinberg of Mt. Laurel, Md.

All of the students except Duncan were seniors who graduated in May. Steinberg is now working on his master's degree in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech.

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