By Laura Michell
A robot that collects students and their organic and food waste from home and takes them to school has won a statewide award.
The walking school bus robot was designed by 12 students who are part of the Mill Park library makers club.
The students used their knowledge of electronics, coding and design to create the robot to enter in the Victorian Design Challenge.
Makers club coach and Whittlesea council waste team member Edmond Lascaris said the competition asked students and design professionals to tackle the issue of waste.
He said the team came up with the idea of a robot that would walk kids to school and had compartments to transport organic and food waste from home to take to school for composting.
The students named the robot R3, which is short for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
The idea was pitched to a jury at the National Gallery of Victoria as part of Melbourne Design Week in March – and won the school category.
Mayor Lawrie Cox said the council had painted lines around Mill Park library to help students with the testing of R3 and have committed to a trial of the robot walking school bus around Plenty Parklands Primary School.
“Our young people are not only the key to our future, they offer solutions for now,” he said.
“We were pleased to support their ideas and will continue to do so.”
