Winboni, a battery-powered window-washing robot developed by a student team from Michigan State University, has captured the 2008 ASME Student Design Competition.

The four-person team of engineering students from Michigan State competed with nine other collegiate teams in a contest that challenged them to design and build robots that could wash a residential double-hung window autonomously. Using only battery power, the devices had to move back and forth between the two window panes without spilling any of the 50 millimeters of water held in their containment systems and without human guidance.

According to a Michigan State team member, Emily Duszynski, the name for the robot was inspired by the Zamboni, the machine that cleans and levels the ice at skating rinks and hockey arenas.

Winboni performed flawlessly. It attached to the window using a circular fan, which created a vacuum to prevent the robot from falling off the vertical glass surface. Servo motors and a programmed accelerometer provided movement along the window panes.

“Our device has several distinctive attributes,” said Duszynski. “We designed a universal program for Winboni, which is applicable for any window.”

With its work complete for the present time, Winboni is on display in a trophy case at the university’s College of Engineering, along with the first-place award from ASME.

Michigan State competed against teams from Colorado State University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, LeTourneau University, Michigan Technological University, Seattle University, Tennessee Technological University, University of Detroit-Mercy, University of Nevada-Reno, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

The ASME Student Design Competition, which is held each year in conjunction with the International Mechanical Engineering Congress, aims to challenge the creative and problem-solving skills and abilities of tomorrow’s engineers. The Boeing Co. along with door and window manufacturer Pella Corp. provided funding for the 2008 event at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

— John Varrasi