"To ensure that everything was on the right track we used to put the prototype in a huge water body and see its functions and carry out necessary corrections," says Dr Sharma about the efforts that underwent in the making of Varun.
It all began right back at DCE, where the team used to perform the tests on the AUV at the college pool. Dissatisfied by the results, they decided to make improvements to the vehicle and sought permission from the National Institute of Ocean Technology and Department of Ocean Development to help them test Varun's underwater capabilities.
While the prototype, the electronic circuit, power systems and software architecture were made at DCE, they were not tested as effectively as it was possible at NIOT in Chennai.
Later when they reached San Diego on July 26 for the championship they were sure that every aspect of the vehicle was working fine.
"The first two days passed by as a breeze. On the third day, we had the qualifying rounds for which we had to perform a minimum set of tasks. We cleared the validation gates and trailed through two pipelines during these rounds. An extra set of tasks performed by us gave us bonus points, which went a long way in taking us to the top rungs of the performance list," says Akshay.
Image: The DCE team at San Diego.
Also see: 'Persistence is the sure
formula for success'
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