Q.E.D. (1982)

The Battle of the Bottle Snatchers (1992x1)

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Plastic bottles, cans and milk cartons fly about as enthusiastic young engineers from Europe, USA and Japan are challenged to design and build robotic rubbish collectors from a box of bits and pieces. This hilarious international competition has a serious purpose. The young designers face the same problems, frustrations and failures as they will do in the real engineering world - it is a battle with time, materials, language and unrelenting competitors. The machines are remarkably varied. Ingenious problem-solving leads to cunning contraptions of wheels, belts and spinning limbs, in the shapes of cows, sharks and fierce toasters. The programme demonstrates the possibility of international co-operation between engineers and gives an insight into how design engineers think. Producer Adam Hart-Davis says: "The programme should give strong encouragement to women to believe that engineering is by no means a male preserve. The outcome of the competition is impossible to predict. I lost 1,000 yen on the final winner."