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ShareBanglore: If the latest gadgets and gizmos is what floats your boat, a robotics workshop might be your kind of excitement. Robot enthusiasts as well as students from all disciplines are lining up to attend these workshops conducted by companies in their campuses.
Unlike other technical workshops where the trainer gives you long theory sessions, these workshops provide students with a hands-on experience for assembling robots -- the focus being on assembling wired/ wireless, computer-controlled and speech-controlled robots.
According to the organisers, the basic aim is to help students develop their own robots. Arvind Nadig, director of LI2 innovationssays, "We conduct six to seven types of workshops, depending on the interests of the students. At the school level, we teach the basics of mechanics, simple concepts of electronics and programming for the students."
Numerous companies are competing with each other to cater to the growing interest among students. Institutes like MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, JSS Engineering College, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, New Horizon Engineering College and Christ University have conducted the workshops.
They have many takers among first year and second year BE/BTech students as well as diploma and HSC/ISC students who are in grade 12. Students like Avinash Chukka can't seem to get enough of it: "The hands-on sessions give you a clear idea about building arobot. I have attended a one-day workshop. It was quite useful. The kit that they provide contains the components required to develop your own set." "Online communities and the counselling sessions make it more interesting," says Rajath S, a third year electronics student of CMR Institute of Technology
The workshops are conducted in eight hour sessions of two days each which cover theory as well as practical sessions based on the fundamental concepts of electronics and robotics. A team of three students is given a take-away kit, each containing microcontrollers and a microcontroller programming kit. The students develop their own programmes and later transfer them to those chips. Microcontrollers can be used to implement different robotic functions.
There are other interesting variations which recognise light and sounds. The kit also contains motors, wheels and robotic chassis, electrical components and sensors. Post-workshop training is also given to students. The members share their experiences with the students. At the end of the classes, there are also contests and career counselling sessions for participating students. They may have to spend between Rs 600 and Rs 1000 to participate.
IIT Bombay is planning to conduct a similar workshop. Advanced workshops like Mars Rover Workshop will help students develop a robot that propels itself after landing on the surface of Mars. The robot will be an exact replica of the one used for the Mars missions earlier this year. Avinash Singh,a third year student of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay says, "The workshop is to help students understand the latest development in technology. "
