UKZN’s Engineering Winter School

September 2025 News

The University of KwaZulu-Natal recently hosted its annual Engineering Winter School, an event where senior high school students spend a week on the engineering campus engaging in activities organised by each engineering discipline. The student representative for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society South Africa, Erin Zietsman, helped organise the mechatronic engineering event which formed part of a broader initiative to promote robotics to aspiring engineers. The goal was to introduce students to current challenges in the field and spark their creativity in developing innovative solutions. Students were also informed about the benefits of joining societies such as SAIMC and IEEE.

The event was hosted by the SMART Lab research group, together with the Winter School mentors and several undergraduate volunteers. The core focus of the day was building and flying drones, which were generously sponsored by RS South Africa. Leading up to the hands-on session, students attended presentations on advanced mechatronics concepts and viewed project showcases that highlighted the real-world applications of this emerging field. These talks offered valuable context about the role of mechatronic engineering within the broader engineering landscape.

To encourage interaction and a bit of friendly competition, there was a quiz with prizes. Finally, students teamed up to assemble and fly the drone kits, a highlight of the day that was met with great enthusiasm. Overall, it was an inspiring day that reflected the passion and curiosity of these future engineers. It is exciting to see what innovations this next generation will bring.

For more information contact Riaan Stopforth, UKZN, +27 72 255 3330, [email protected], www.ukzn.ac.za

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