The first-place team from School No. 360: Konstantin Miropoltsev, Vladislav Rodionov, Daniil Dobrokhvalov, Mikhail Bessonov, and coach Mark Druzhinin. In the background, on the right, is Andrey Zazykin
On 22 May, the V International Children's Automobile Forum DAF-2026 took place at the VII International Transport Festival "TransportFest," organized by the "Avtoprom North-West" Union and the St Petersburg Regional Branch of the "Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia." One of the forum's key events was the final round of the "RoboLab: Transport Robotics Projects" competition, jointly organized by the St Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and the St Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise "Passazhiravtotrans."
The competition is dedicated to the development of mobile robotic systems by school teams following completion of the "Mobile Robotic Vehicles on Wheels and Tracks" program. The project aims to develop engineering thinking and promote robotics and technical education among schoolchildren.
Eleven teams from the automotive engineering classes of schools No. 269, No. 331, No. 334, No. 360, No. 496, and No. 625 participated in the finals. Participants presented their own robotics projects dedicated to the transportation industry, process automation, and modern engineering solutions. Each team was mentored by a student or a teacher of the SPbGASU Faculty of Automobile and Road Building.
Schoolchildren from the Kirovsky, Nevsky, Moskovsky, and Frunzensky districts of St Petersburg presented their projects to a panel of experts. The teams demonstrated a high level of preparation, project-based skills, and the ability to apply engineering knowledge in practice.
The winner of the "RoboLab: Transport Robotics Projects" competition was the team from School No. 360 named after Hero of the Soviet Union A.V. German, Frunzensky District. The team presented the project "Development of a functional robotics model for simulating technological processes and design features of a construction roller." The team included Konstantin Miropoltsev, Georgy Kodinov, Mikhail Bessonov, Daniil Dobrokhvalov, and Vladislav Rodionov. The team was mentored by Mark Druzhinin, a teacher of supplementary education at the school and a first-year master's student at the SPbGASU Faculty of Automobile and Road Building (major in Applied Mechanics).
Mikhail Bessonov presents his team's work
Second place went to the team from School No. 334 in the Nevsky District, the "Nevskaya Perspektiva" Educational Complex. The project's topic was "Development of a functional robotic model for simulating technological processes and design features of a bulldozer." The team included Aleksandr Blum, Valeria Klimovskaya, Denis Chechulin, Aleksey Shulgan, and Gavriil Shutenko. Mentor: Roman Litvin, PhD of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor at the SPbGASU Department of Land Transport and Technological Machines.
Third place went to the team from School No. 269 in the Kirovsky District, "School of Health." The team included Kirill Ivanov, Maksim Ivanyan, Andrey Kobylinsky, Valeria Milovidova, and Dmitry Rudskikh. The project's topic was "An ecosystem of robots for the analysis and repair of public roads." The team's mentor was Maksim Golubovich, a fourth-year student in the SPbGASU Faculty of Automobile and Road Building (major in Applied Mechanics), and a teacher of supplementary education at the school.
At the awards ceremony, Andrey Zazykin, a member of the jury and organizing committee for the competition and Dean of the SPbGASU Faculty of Automobile and Road Building, noted that the RoboLab competition has become an important platform for early career guidance for schoolchildren and the training of future specialists in the transport and engineering industries: "Holding this competition as part of the DAF-2026 and the TransportFest festivals allows us to unite educational initiatives, industry, and the city's leading transport companies, creating conditions for the development of the engineering potential of young people."
