Doordarshan and MIT Academy of Engineering Alandi gear up to host ABU National Robocon 2018 in Pune
107 teams to battle it out for National ROBOCON 2018
Pune – Doordarshan and MIT Academy of Engineering Alandi are set to host the 13th edition of ABU National Robocon at Balewadi Sports Complex Pune which would see the participation of 107 teams. Of these teams, 22 teams are from Pune. ABU National Robocon is scheduled to be held in Pune from 1st to 3rd March. The winner will represent India at the ABU International Robocon 2018 to be held in Vietnam later this year . As every year , top engineering colleges including NITs and IITs would contest for the coveted award. Robocon is a platform provided for budding engineers to enhance their skills in the field of robotics and adept with the fast-advancing technology. This is not just a learning experience but is also an unparalleled exposure and freedom to use technology and create a practical
demonstration. Experienced and highly knowledgeable judges from IITs, NITs, COEP and MIT judge and mediate the games and the overall contest.
The contest theme this year is “NÉMCÒN : The Festival Wishing Happiness and Prosperity”. The concept of the ABU Robocon 2018’s Theme & Rules is based on an interesting folk game called “Shuttlecock Throwing”. The heart and soul of this game is the Shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is an object made of cotton balls or filled with rice husks, symbolizing prosperity and happiness.
Prof Dr. Vishwanath. D. Karad, Founder President MIT World Peace University said, “We continuously strive to promote awareness and skill development about Robotics and Artificial intelligence among students. MIT continually provides support and synergy for efforts of the Academic and Industry communities across the Globe. In the same efforts, we regularly organize Robotics workshops and seminars and have built a world-class Robotics laboratory. These efforts ensure that Robotics form not just a part of the academics of the students but also the knowledge that they imbibe.”
Dr Sunil Karad, Trustee and Executive Director, MIT Group of Institutes and Chief Convener of Robocon India said, “Events like Robocon play a crucial role in nurturing the youth and budding engineers, and foster their skills in Robotics It provides them with a platform to learn and explore this field and develop insights into the interdisciplinary approach to technology. The event is a great festival for exchange of technological know-how and sporting spirit. It has been our pleasure to watch students taking the initiative to participate with a high degree of improvisation each year.”
Talking about the National Robocon 2018, Mr. M.S. Thomas ADG, Doordarshan , said” Robocon Contests are a great technical gaming activity, where the spirit of sportsmanship is inculcated in participants along with the core values of ‘teamwork’. Needless to say the competitive spirit and the will to excel in technical academia also play a big role in these contests. For the broadcasters like Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) it offers the opportunity to take the message to the remotest regions of our country.
Dr. Yogesh Bhalerao, Director , MIT Academy of Engineering, ” The game consists of an open field with a 15m bamboo trunk planted in the middle. A bamboo ring is hung on top of the bamboo stick. The ring is covered in yellow and pink papers. Yellow color represents the moon, while pink represents the sun. The heart and soul of this game is the Shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is an object made of cotton balls or filled with rice husks, symbolizing prosperity and happiness. The shuttlecock is hung by a string sewn to the center of the Shuttecock. It is decorated with colorful cotton representing the colors of the rainbow. When playing, the player holds the end of the string to swing it clockwise various times before throwing and aims for the center of the ring. If the shuttlecock makes it through the ring, the player wins. The flying shuttlecock depicts a flying dragon, iconic of human power and the universe. In this spirit, teams of ABU Robocon 2018 are expected to design formidable robots and charismatic shuttlecocks showing their colors.
The details of the Contest are available on www.roboconindia.com . The winners of the National Robocon would enter the ABU International Robocon at Vietnam as teams from India. The Robocon would be broadcasted on Doordarshan live .
