Tech-savvy students are first on the grid

TECHY-savvy Irish students are preparing to take on the world with cutting-edge ideas.

Winners of two separate competitions yesterday will now represent Ireland in global finals.

Students from Dundalk Grammar School fought off competition from 150 second-level schools to take the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge trophy.

The competition, organised by the Irish Computer Society, has this year challenged seven million students across 31 countries to design, build and race carbon dioxide -powered model F1 cars. Michael O'Neill, Niall Carroll, Jack Farrell, Steven Butterly and Conor Clarke will head to the world finals this autumn.

Meanwhile, Dublin Institute of Technology students Nicola Nevin and Marco Castorina will represent Ireland at an international competition sponsored by Microsoft. Their ImagineNote game replaces a conventional games controller with soundbeam technology.

- Katherine Donnelly

Irish Independent