‘Rowbots’ could line up in own Boat Race

SINCE 1829, The Boat Race has pitted the best of Oxford and Cambridge against each other in an annual regatta watched by millions.

But now a team of Cambridge students have invented a robot they think can do better than humans – and have challenged their rivals to compete in a new hi-tech event: the Rowbot Race.

Five students from Peterhouse College have created a machine that mimics the rowing technique. On a budget of just £500, the students fused their contraption with a renovated scull built in 1969 and are testing it on the Cam river.

Dr Andre Rosendo, a research associate in engineering and project leader, said that once refined, the machine will easily beat Olympic standard rowers.

In a moment of institutional rivalry, he challenged Oxford University’s engineers, whom he doubts are capable of matching the speed and design of their finely-tuned machine, to a race. “Like Cambridge, Oxford is not necessarily famous for robotics,” he added.

“But it’s a very new field. Students need the incentive to start working on these projects, so this competition could foster a higher knowledge of robotics. I don’t know if they could handle us.”

Dr Rosendo said he designed the robot after an idea by Adrian Dixon, the former master of Peterhouse, at a college dinner.

While a competition between machines may not appeal to traditionalists, the Cambridge engineers hope the race could one day feature alongside the famous Thames regatta and go some way to encouraging school students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Should their challenge be accepted, Cambridge is confident their superiority on the water, at 82 wins to Oxford’s 80 in the men’s race, will be extended.