The EPro8 Challenge is an engineering and problem-solving race and competition. Teams compete to build large sized structures, solve practical problems and use pulleys, motors, gears, wheels & axles to invent machines that can complete simple tasks.

Each team of four is based at a workstation with a huge array of equipment and parts to use to solve challenges.  There isn’t enough time to solve all the challenges – so strategy is required to know which ones to go for.  The harder the challenge, the more points on offer.

Aquinas College entered two teams this year and competed very strongly. Our Year 7 team made up of Stanley Watson, Heath Lochhead, Jacob Pinto and Jack Gundry and made a 2m span bridge with lights to control their ‘vehicle’ as it moved across the bridge, which had to be a metre high.

Our Year 8 team of Gina Knowles, Boston Kesner, Samuel Rush and India Mahy solved a range of problems (keeping a balloon 2.4m in the air using fans and braces, created a ‘laser’ which could roam around the room and made a bridge) AND managed to finish second which qualifies them for the regional finals in Rotorua in Week 10.

Congratulations on this fantastic result.