IIT-B Tech Fest kicks off with robo zest

The first day of IIT-Bombay Tech Fest was kicked off by none other than former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the man behind the missions such as Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, Dr K Radhakrishan.

The annual science and technology festival, Asia's largest of its kind, will go on till December 28. Youths from across the country were present at the inaugural ceremony presided over by dean of students affairs Soumyo Mukherjee and director professor Devang Khakkar.

Apart from Radhakrishan, the other eminent lecturers included Ajit Narayanan, inventor of Avaz, India's first Augmentative and Alternative Communication device for children with disabilities, Google's Robert J Mical and developer of first Internet in Asia, Kilman Chon. They spoke about their experiences and the love for technology.

A number of latest breakthroughs in science and technology were exhibited at the fest, including a special exhibit of robots from various countries. Switzerland's Jinn Bot drew the maximum number of enthusiasts, being the first Swiss 3D printed walking Humanoid Robot. NASA Chondrobot, an automated robot capable of mining on lunar surfaces, was also present. All Terrain Rescue and Relief Robot from Bangladesh, minirobots from South Korea and many others were on display.

Apart from robots, super-bikes and an electric car were also a part of the fest. BMW exhibited a range of their super-bikes. BMW displayed their exclusive electric car BMW I8 while Shaman Triumph, a United Kingdom-based bike manufacturer, displayed their award winning bikes Daytona 675R and Street Triple. The machines were a huge attraction for the college crowd.

The motive of the three-day Tech Fest is to promote technology, scientific thinking and innovation.