When a team of ten undergraduate students from Delhi College of Engineering left for San Diego, USA, to take part in an international championship they had no inkling that they would not only surpass their own expectations, but would also bag the prize for the most improved design award for 2008 for their robotic submarine codenamed Varun.
The championship was organised from July 29 to August 3 this year, by the Association for Vehicle System International and the Office of the Naval Research, USA.
What gives the team a great sense of satisfaction is the fact that they competed with the best in the world. Kyusho University of Japan, Georgia Tech, MIT were all there. Yet this team from DCE managed to win an award.
The team won the 'Most Improved Design Award' from amongst 40 teams and finished 9th in their overall performance.
The entire team of engineers was confident of doing well but that they could go this far exceeded their own level of confidence.
"Varun could help in research and underwater navigation and it could dive to a predetermined depth underwater, identify patterns and follow underwater pipelines using machine vision and detect sound sources by acoustic navigation, deploy payloads and could surface at any given point without human intervention," says team leader Akshay Kumar about the advanced robot the DCE team designed.
"The journey to San Diego was the outcome of an unrelenting pursuit to succeed. It was the culmination of the efforts that had been put in by all the team members," says Vishu Gupta, another team member.
However, the event was not all fun. Here's what Kumar Atulya has to say about the fun and hardships of building an award winning submarine:
"We did have issues managing our time amidst the busy schedule for the project. We used to go for classes during the day, and stay late until almost dawn for months together to make this project a success. We could not compromise upon our exams and academic career, whilst still working at it. It was really an experience. We remember working together at the laboratory late nights.
While the rest of students made it to their homes during the winter and summer vacations, we toiled on and on to make sure our attempt receives true appreciation in the form of success. Testing of the AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Varun) during nights in winters in the open college pool is a scene that all of us still remember!"
The team:
Akshay Kumar: Mechanical Engg., III Year
Toushar Chakrabarty: Mechanical Engg., III year
Manuhar Chopra: Mechanical Engg., III year
Abhishek Kumar: Mechanical Engg., IV year
Ravinder Singh: Mechanical Engg., IV year
Kumar Atulya: Information & Technology, III year
Praween Prakash: Electronics & Communication, III year
Vishu Gupta: Electronics & Communication, IV year
Abhinav Raj Singh: Electronics & Communication, III year
Parth M Saxena: Computer Science Engg., III year
Text: Onkar Singh
Photographs: Delhi College of Engineering
Also see: These scholars are heading to Cambridge
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