A GROUP of students have returned from an international robot competition. Seven students from Barclay School in Stevenage competed in the Robotic World Championships at California State University. They were up against 91 teams from across the globe for

A GROUP of students have returned from an international robot competition.

Seven students from Barclay School in Stevenage competed in the Robotic World Championships at California State University.

They were up against 91 teams from across the globe for two days in a bid to secure the world title.

Two teams from Barclay played nine qualifying matches but neither qualified for the quarter final. The competition, which was shown live on the web, was eventually won by a Chinese alliance of teams.

Alan Fuller, a school governor who accompanied the teams, said: "It was a tremendous experience for our students to partner and play with teams from Brazil, Hawaii, Taiwan and Shanghai. Of course we were disappointed not to make the knock-out phase but the competition was truly awesome.

"Our team was one of the youngest at the event and they played each match with a coolness that belied their tender years. Both won their fair share of games and learnt a lot from the competition in terms of tactical play, future robot design and appreciating that only by playing against the best can you ever aspire to beat them."

Tim Stroud, the team's mentor from MBDA, said: "We arrived with competitive robots that were simply overshadowed by machines that had capability and power up to four times greater than our own. It wasn't that we had designed and developed our ideas poorly, but that the Chinese had taken the development of their machines, including significant investment in equipment and design technology, to a professional standard not seen in our schools."

The pupils will now focus on their next challenge - the second Stevenage Robot Rumble, taking place in November at Barclay School involving 16 teams from Hertfordshire.