Date:04/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/04/stories/2004040412240300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Robotics fascinates students

By Govind D. Belgaumkar

BANGALORE, APRIL 3. A few students of Peenya Government High School had never thought of robots. However, a couple of weeks ago not only did they start thinking about them but even made one. What's more, their robot was meant to perform the tasks similar to what the NASA is attempting to do for the Rover, which landed on the Mars recently.

Children of six schools in and around the city took part in a unique competition to reproduce the robots that would perform a series of six tasks in a matter of 150 seconds. Each task could last about 10 seconds. Engineers from Honeywell, a software company, helped them in programming the robots.

Teams of students created the robots to perform tasks such as covering a distance, stopping at the right place, and opening the door of the spaceship, simulating the first process of landing of the Rover. In the next task, it would go on to release the Rover that is stuck on a hilly region on the Mars. Successful completion of each task earned them points but if any part of the robot disintegrated, they lost some points.

Accomplishing these tasks was part of a scheme called FIRST LEGO League (FLL) of the Honeywell, under which its employees take time off from their routine activity and spend time with the children and guide them.

The students used specially imported kits from U.S.-based LEGO company (which produces educational kits that can be easily dismantled and integrated again) to build the robots. According to a spokesperson of the scheme, the blocks of the LEGO kits had built-in chips. Using a software, the children programmed the robot to perform the assigned tasks. They included landing of the Rover, freeing the Rover that is stuck on a hillock, retrieving ice cores from the surface of the Mars, and cleaning dust from a solar panel. Incidentally, these were exactly the problems NASA engineers faced during the Mars mission. The student teams achieved the simulation tasks to great success, according to another Honeywell spokesperson. They were so excited that they have a newfound interest in different engineering fields. "FLL is aimed at arousing technological curiosity in young students," the spokesperson said.

The schools that took part in the programme were Peenya Government High School, Tumkur Road, Malleswaram Government High School for Girls, Basavanagudi Government High School for Girls, Bilekahalli Gnana Prakasham Vidya Shala, Bannerghatta Road, Kasturbanagar Corporation Junior College, Mysore Road, Sarakki Government High School.