PUPILS at Ysgol Carreg Hirfaen, in Cwmann, are among children from eight Carmarthenshire schools who will soon start work on manufacturing 3D-printed, battery-driven cars, culminating in an exciting grand prix style race next summer.

Teams from each participating school will be tasked with printing, assembling, painting and testing the cars before they go head to head in an event that is earmarked for Carmarthen Park’s velodrome in July 2019.

The list of schools also includes Ysgol Llanybydder and Ysgol Llanllwni.

It’s anticipated that the cars, each based on a Daniel Norée design, will be adopted by a major manufacturer and managed by a local car supplier. Children taking part will be asked to negotiate with garages about advertising, design advertising banners and team shirts, secure advertising space for event programmes, and raise awareness of the race.

The scheme is being led by Swansea University’s College of Engineering, in partnership with Ysgol Gynradd Nantgaredig and Carmarthenshire Council.

Tiny cameras will be added to the cars for viewing and replays, with drone footage planned to give a bird’s eye view of the race on the day.

It is also hoped that cutting edge technologies such as virtual reality navigation, online streaming, and radio frequency bandwidth extensions can be incorporated in the future.

Every school taking part will have a pits area where garages who are sponsoring the cars can have their latest models on display.

The family-friendly event is expected to attract high visitor numbers and is a key representation of the successful promotion of science and innovation within west Wales schools.

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