NewsFH Upper Austria, Wels Campus

Sensational Success of the Wels UAS Robo-Racing Team

„Some things happen once in a lifetime – it’s just unbelievable”. With these words the Wels UAS robo-racing team returned from Russia as winners of EUROBOT. Despite many unforeseen difficulties at customs and registration and some unfair attacks by opponents, the Wels researchers Michael Zauner and Raimund Edlinger were able to win with their robot “Chessy”. This makes them the first non-French winners of this great robot competition since 1998. The second Wels team also achieved a magnificent 5th place.

One of the most significant victories
In past years rugby and bowling were played, rubbish sorted, sample stones collected on Mars, antique temples built and planets nurtured – this year chess was played! The Wels robots performed this tricky task better than all other 46 teams and sensationally finished 1st and 5th. It is the first time an Austrian team has won at the hotly-contested Eurobot-Championships. “It’s certainly one of the most significant victories ever by an Austrian robot team!” said a beaming Raimund Edlinger. The Eurobot competitions had been firmly in French hands since 1998. The best a Wels team had achieved before had been a 5th place.