Start-up that rigs robots

The troika — Chandrakanth Bobba, Preetham Bhonsle and Anil Kumar G — are in their final years in college, but have taken a small but significant step forward by launching ‘Mybot’, a firm that conducts workshops and provides tools to initiate students in the world of robotics.

“The idea to start a company was conceived of when I was doing a project on robotics at Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering,” entrepreneur-student Chandrakanth Bobba told Deccan Herald.

Bobba’s partner, Anil Kumar G, who attends classes at M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, said Preetham Bhonsle and he got interested in the idea when they saw Chandrakanth at work. “We researched on how many students in Mysore worked in the field of robotics,” Kumar said.

The result was disappointing and disheartening. Less than five per cent of engineering students took up robotics for their final year project, Kumar said.

Bobba attributes such apparent disinterest to non-availability of electronic components, chassis and theoretical material that go into creating a robot. Another key reason why students electronics, instrumentation, mechanical and industrial production did not take up robotics was that most technical colleges across Karnataka offered the subject in only one semester.

It was then that the trio decided to make what they described as a “line follower robot”. Explaining the concept, Bobba said: “The bot is attached with sensors and a cellularphone. While the sensors stop the robot from crashing into walls, the cellularphone is used to provide directions to it.”

Mybot conducts workshops to introduce youngsters to robotics. A tool kit, including electronic components, chassis and PCB, is given to interested students. Bobba said four students an use the toolbox to fabricate robots according to their needs. “The robots they rig could even be submitted as part of their final year project,” a beaming Bobba said.

Bhonsle, who goes to Atria College of Engineering in Bangalore, said that it took a mere ` 1 lakh to kick-start the venture which, after getting started, was lauded by the three young entrepreneurs’ parents who commended them for bridging a gap in engineering.