The University of Szeged is one of the big names in the field of pneumobiles designed and driven by students. At the 8^th International Aventics Pneumobile Competition in 2015, University of Szeged students took part with four individually designed and constructed compressed air-driven vehicles and achieved 2^nd place in the senior category, 7^th place in the arcade class, and 8^th place in the acceleration section. In view of the fact that they were competing against 50 other teams, these results can be regarded as excellent. Another important event in the pneumobile calendar is the Kecskemét Gala Race, which provides an opportunity for designers of air-compressed vehicles to prove themselves and also to have great fun.

In 2015, 14 teams from 7 countries competed from the viewpoint of acceleration and in a 50 m long-distance race, matching their knowledge and technological prowess. Two of the three teams from the University of Szeged scored podium finishes. Team Diff-Air won 2^nd place, and team Pepp-Air 3^rd place in the acceleration race.

Szeged pneumobiles were recently tested by Norbert Michelisz, Eurocup champion and winner of numerous titles in the World Touring Car Championships, who praised them highly as very well-designed vehicles that work perfectly and without technical failures.

Compressed air-driven vehicles are not the only ones in which students from the University of Szeged have attained great results. In 2015, the STECO group of students from the Faculties of Engineering and Science and Informatics entered one of the world’s most demanding competitions for the first time: the international Shell Eco marathon. Their streamlined model vehicle Zeus, an eco-friendly, independently designed and constructed electric car prototype, weights about 30 kg, has three wheels and is mostly constructed from bicycle components; it is driven by a 250 W DC motor with 14 charged batteries. The team of talented young students reached the goal they had set for themselves: they successfully qualified for the Rotterdam race track by fully meeting the standards of the strict technological and safety regulations of the competition.

Erzsebet Gajzer

Photo:Donát Herner