The students of RoboManipal are into innovations that will ensure the efficient use of energy with minimal or zero pollution of the environment.
The robots designed by RoboManipal, the student robotics team of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), is a wonderful venture to reduce pollution and also use of clean energy like solar and wind proficiently.
Manipal University Pro Chancellor Dr H S Ballal, unveiled the robots designed by RoboManipal. The team will take part in the NationalRobocon ‘16 India to be held in Pune from March 3 to 5, 2016. The team comprises 33 members including five girls from different branches of engineering.
Team leader Satish Reddy said he hopes the team will qualify for the international event to be held in Bangkok later this year.
“Abu Robocon is the biggest robotics competition in the Asia Pacific region and we are confident of making it to the competition in Thailand, in which 21 teams will take part, from across the globe,” he said.
“We have been working on the robots for the last six months, and six months prior to that, we all studied a lot on robots. It has been a wonderful team effort and we have all worked tirelessly and selflessly,” he added.
This year’s Robocon Theme is “Clean Energy Recharging the World”, proposed by Thailand. The problem statement involves two robots, a manually controlled ‘Hybrid Robot’ that powers an autonomous ‘Eco Robot’ as it traverses the arena. The ‘Eco Robot’ has no on-board power to drive itself and is powered wirelessly by the ‘Hybrid Robot. The project of manufacturing the robots extended to one year and the cost was around Rs six lakh. The robots have the capacity of 3.2 kg of thrust and can carry books and other materials as well as used in warehouses. The energy can be used in industries.
The loss in transfer of energy is minimised in the process of using the clean energy. The Electric Ducted Fan is utilised. Both robots are controlled by sharp sensors. Beside Eco Robot comprise of camera through which it can seize and detect the path and also change the path in the required direction, he added.
MIT Director Dr G K Prabhu said that the robots are useful on larger scale for automation. It can be used to go to the area and pick things in the large space, he added.
RoboManipal has a number of successful performances to its credit over the last few years. It has come a long way since its inception, integrating innovative solutions to complex problems.
The team also has alumni who have participated in the 4th international NASALunabotics Mining Competition in 2013. Fracktal Works, a 3-D printing start-up venture
that had humble beginnings at the MIT workshop, is now leading the 3-D printing industry in India.
