Boston, MA – April 15, 2008 – Wentworth Institute of Technology announces three students from the electromechanical engineering program have earned first place at this year’s regional 2008 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Design Competition. The design team, comprised of Mark Gaudette, Stephen Mills, and Ben Pelletier, traveled to Central Connecticut State University to participate in the competition, which was focused on designing window washing robots.

The “Win-Robo” robot designed by the team was meant to assist physically handicapped individuals who would normally have extreme difficulties washing a window. The design team had to stay within strict requirements including a one kilogram weight limit, the inclusion of a low battery safety system, and the more general requirement that the robot could not be designed for a specific window size. The design team began their work in September 2007, researching, designing, building, and testing the robot prototype.

As the result of their first place finish, “Win-Robo” will now represent Wentworth at the ASME International Design Competition, which will be held this fall at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. In the interim, all three students will have graduated in May, 2008 with degrees in electromechanical engineering.

The purpose of the competition was to design, build, and demonstrate a robot which would wash a residential double-hung sash-type window, without human intervention, within five minutes. The competition featured eleven teams from seven colleges from New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Wentworth Institute of Technology
Founded in 1904, Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational nationally ranked institution offering career-focused education through 15 Bachelor degree programs in areas such as architecture, computer science and systems, construction management, design, engineering, engineering technology, environmental science, and management. For over a century, Wentworth has been a leader in technical education known for its academic excellence, community service, and support for the economic growth of the region. For more information, please visit www.wit.edu.