ThinkLABS conducts the 5th All India Robotic School competition at IIT, Mumbai

 Team from Aura Edify Global School,Kerala and Wisdom High School, Nasik were announced  winners in the junior and the senior category after competing with 150 other teams

The top two teams received a cash prize of INR 50,000 each

Kochi,December 4,2012: ThinkLabs Technosolution Pvt Ltd, today conducted TRICKS 2012 at IIT Mumbai for over 600 students from across the country. This is the 5^th all India robotics competition open for any school children. For TRICKS 2012, 150 teams from across the country participated in the competition that spanned over 2 days. After a gruelling competition, Aura Edify Global School and Wisdom High School from Nasik were announced winners for the junior and the senior category respectively.  The winners were chosen by a panel of judges on the basis of not only on how well they were able to make their robots perform but also on their presentation skills and team spirit.

The top teams from each category received a cash prize of INR 50,000 each. The teams at the second and third positions under each category received a cash prize of INR 20,000 and INR 10,000 respectively. There were cash prizes given for best algorithm, best design and best presentations as well.

The theme for this year’s ‘TRICKS2012’ was ‘Mars Exploration Mission ’. Keeping to the theme, teams were given a task chart, designed to ensure that the robots would be able to help in understanding Mars, its weather cycle, soil structure and hence facilitate future missions.

Said Gagan Goyal, CEO, ThinkLabs, “We at ThinkLabs look forward to this competition every year. The enthusiasm of the children and their improving performance each year is almost like a validation to our theory of hand on learning and training. With ever increasing competition in the academic arena, such competition also motivates children to push their boundaries in an enjoyable fashion and we are very happy that the schools and parents are encouraging them to participate.”

 

Said Professor Amarnath, ““Robotics as a subject is a combination of creativity, application and science in our daily lives. I feel, as teachers, by helping a student learn robotics at an early stage, we are expanding their horizon and opening their minds to million possibilities he /she can create.”

This year, like before, the teams were divided into two groups on the basis of their age. Any student from 1^st to - 5^th   standard could participate in the junior school category and students from 6-12^th standard could participate in the senior school category. Each group was given a given a pre- defined task list, based on which they create and plan their strategies for the competition. The task list acts as a broad guideline and a student is free to experiment along those lines.

For the current year, TELE MARS, the task for the junior team, was to build a remote controlled Mars explorer. At this level, the student was expected to build a robust machine which travels different terrain, pick and place objects, climb inclines and so on. The key judging criterion was to build robots that can be easily controlled by remote control.

AUTO MARS, the task for the senior team, was to build robots that follow a line and can intelligently perform various tasks on the way. The important criterion was its ability to use sensor and make decisions. Reliability and repeatability of the robot were crucial in the judging process.

On the 1^st day of the competition, the teams had a qualifying round. The objective of the qualifying round is typically not to eliminate but to help the student identify and significant flaw in their design and assembling. On the 2^nd day, the teams made their final presentation to the ThinkLabs judges and the final teams were selected on the basis of the performance and consistency of the robots and over all team presentation.

ThinkLabs started TRICKS in 2007 with the intention of enhancing the interest of students and also the teachers in robotics. Over the years and annual competition has become a platform where students from various schools come and display their learning and enthusiasm on the subject. ThinkLabs plans to take the robotic competition to other countries as well in due course of time.

About ThinkLabs:

ThinkLABS is a IIT-alumnus venture in the field of hands-on science and technology education catering to schools and colleges. Since its inception in 2006, the company has grown significantly and today partners with over 200 schools and 40 colleges across India.

ThinkLABS  world-class award winning innovative programs introduces school students to hands-on science education through robotics and science implements. Cutting edge programs in embedded systems and robotics and is aimed at preparing college students for careers in the new frontiers of technology.