ASTRA Robotics Team

The ASTRA Robotics Team is an all-female competitive robotics team founded and led by three engineering students from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). It was created in response to the many barriers women face in science and technology, with the lack of role models being one of the primary reasons why the robotics scene, both nationally and internationally, remains predominantly male.

ASTRA was born from a collective dream, including those of girls who have yet to discover us. It is the result of a desire to solidify and encourage the presence of women in prominent spaces within the fields of exact sciences.

ASTRA is about the power of identification through similarity. By stepping into the arena wearing pink t-shirts, with full confidence that we belong, we strive for more than just winning trophies. Our presence alone will serve as an example and inspiration for future generations of engineers and scientists, so they never doubt they are capable of occupying the same spaces.

In just four months, we reached significant milestones in ASTRA’s journey. The most notable of these achievements: second place in one of the most prestigious national competitions, IronCup 2025. Despite this being our team's first competition, as well as the debut of the three robots we developed and funded ourselves, we showcased our potential by competing against institutional teams with over 10 years of experience.

Although rewarding, the prize pales in comparison to the main achievement we’ve earned: a growing network of support and communication.

Both virtual, through our social media – a platform through which we spread information about competitive robotics and transform technical knowledge into posts that are accessible to the general public; and in person, with the numerous interactions from girls, inside and outside the robotics field, showing curiosity about our work and praising our initiative.

Our mission moving forward is to continue making robotics more accessible and inclusive, one victory at a time.

And, with the right support, reach for the stars!

One of the biggest milestones in our development process has been the creation of SOL and LUA, our custom-made printed circuit boards (PCBs).

• SOL is the PCB that powers our radio-controlled Mini Sumo robot, integrating motor drivers, signal processing, and control systems into a single, optimized board.
• LUA, on the other hand, is the PCB designed for our autonomous Mini Sumo robot. This board is responsible for processing sensor data in real time, making complex strategic decisions, and executing precise movements during matches—without any human intervention.

Both of these PCBs eliminate excessive wiring, reduce failures, and improve overall system performance, giving our robots a competitive edge.

However, designing these boards is only the first step—manufacturing high-quality PCBs remains one of the greatest challenges we face as an independent team.

Why PCBWay's Sponsorship Matters?

With PCBWay’s support, we could bring SOL and LUA to their full potential, refining our designs and ensuring we have reliable, professional-grade circuit boards for our robots. Access to high-quality PCB manufacturing would allow us to iterate our projects faster, test innovative electronics solutions, and optimize our robots for future competitions.

Beyond just improving our performance, this partnership would reinforce ASTRA’s mission of encouraging women in STEM—proving that, with the right resources, we can innovate, compete, and inspire on an international level.

We would be honored to have PCBWay as a partner in our journey, helping us reach for the stars—one circuit at a time!