Student club successes

Advanced Robotics at the UW

Advanced Robotics at the University of Washington (ARUW) competed at RoboMaster North America 2025 against 27 teams from across the world at the University of California San Diego. The team won third place in both the 1v1 and 3v3 confrontations, as well as the new Engineer Challenge, in which the team had their specialized robot grab three cubes and maneuver them into targets within the time limit.

ARUW is a coalition of more than 70 engineering, computer science, physics, art, and business students pursuing their passion for robotics and technology.

UW Formula Motorsports

UW Formula Motorsports — which designs, builds, tests and competes with an electric formula-style race car each year — competed in both the Michigan SAE Electric and the Formula Student Germany competitions this year. The T36 car team had 107 members across 11 different majors.

In Michigan, the team placed fifth place overall and first place in autocross, a dynamic event in which the car navigates a variety of track features. Later in summer 2025, the team transported their car abroad and successfully completed the Formula Student Germany competition.

“Competing in Germany was a great experience for us,” says ME student Guinness Duniho. “It was largely a chance for us to learn and scout out the competition and begin to strategize for next year.”

Husky Robotics

The Husky Robotics team competed at the 2025 University Rover Challenge finals in Utah for the first time since 2019. As one of 38 teams selected, Husky Robotics demonstrated their Mars rover’s functionality and provided scientific analysis of the surrounding area. Husky Robotics also attended the 2025 Canadian International Rover Challenge in Alberta, where their new rover design nearly matched their score from last year.

With more than 100 members, Husky Robotics builds autonomous rovers and carbon fiber drones, designs custom printed circuit boards, develops artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision systems, and conducts materials and biochemical lifeform analysis. Students gain skills in full-system mechanical design, electronics, aerodynamics, scientific instrumentation and technical management.

UW Solar Vehicle Team

The new UW Solar Vehicle Team received sixth place in the 2025 Formula Sun Grand Prix in Kentucky. They were also named Rookie of the Year. The competition was determined by the total number of laps completed over the three days of racing. Before racing, the team passed their first major milestone of scrutiny from the event judges to ensure their car met all safety guidelines. During the race, participants can’t plug in their battery so they worked to maximize their distance given their expected power.

Motivated by an interest in sustainable transportation, ME student Hailin Truman started the UW club after his experience participating on a solar car team in high school. The team had 35 members in its first year. Students from various disciplines gained skills in designing the battery pack, coding, computer-aided design and more. “We want people to be well-rounded engineers and to broaden their skills in the areas they’re excited about,” Truman says.

While gearing up for next year’s race, the team will work on building their team, improving their technology and gaining funding support. Their end goal is to participate in a solar challenge race in Australia.