The ingenuity and ability of students at the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) know no bounds. On this occasion, students in the Systems Engineering program demonstrated their mastery of hardware and software by building line-following cars as part of the intermediate project for the Microcontrollers 1 course, which focuses on the Internet of Things and is taught by Professor José Geralbert Rubiano.
“Normally, systems engineers focus more on code, but today we also need to understand the electronic part of the hardware and its integration with the software. In this activity, we combine both aspects: we design the software for each car, adjust the codes, and finally take them to competition in the real world,” explained Professor Rubiano.
After three weeks of planning, development, and testing, the teacher was satisfied with the results obtained.
“The outcome is very positive. This was a different way of evaluating: it was not just about writing code, but also about measuring the effectiveness of the autonomous car, analyzing the calibration of sensors, the structure of the vehicle, and other technical variables,” he added.
The students appreciated the practical methodology of the course, which confronts them with real challenges of professional practice.
“During the process, different situations arose in which it was necessary to adjust the weight and other variables of the car to take the curves well and complete the circuit. It is important to understand how hardware and software complement each other,” said Valeria Barreto, a systems engineering student at UIS.
They also emphasized that this experience represents a key step in the development of the final course project, which focuses on designing technological solutions for everyday problems.
“This connection between software and hardware is fundamental to our final project. In our case, we are working on a proposal to improve mobility within the UIS, focused on the use of bicycles and skateboards at the entrance to Carrera 27,” said Juan Solano, a UIS Systems Engineering student.
