Young scientists to enter motorised chair in EU contest

A "motorised chair with caterpillar tracks and gradient stabiliser" - a project created by Luke Mercieca and Clayton D'Amato from St Aloyius College - will represent Malta at the 16th EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held in Dublin, Ireland this September.

The project consists of a model of an electrically powered wheelchair which works on caterpillar tracks. This enables the user to go up and down stairs and travel comfortably on rough surfaces. It also includes a gradient stabiliser. Its function is to set the seat at a proper angle so that the user would not fall off the chair when going up or downstairs and to give better comfort.

The European Union Contest for Young Scientists is an initiative of the European Commission set up to promote the ideals of cooperation and interchange between young scientists. The contest is the annual showcase of the best of European student scientific achievement and as such attracts widespread media interest.

The contest gives students the opportunity to compete with the best of their contemporaries at European level. The young scientists also have the chance to meet others with similar abilities and interests and to be guided by some of the most prominent scientists in Europe.

The contest is part of the Science and Society activities managed by the Directorate General for Research of the European Commission, which aims to build a more harmonious relationship between scientific endeavour and European society at large.