Dhulikhel, August 12:

The Robotics Club of the Institute of Engineering (RCIOE) is all set to organise the second National Robot Contest on November 25 this year, a senior member of the RCIOE said at an introductory seminar on robotics, held at the Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, today. “Last year’s event was just a beginning. We were novices then,” Saroj Karki told this daily, adding:

“Our participation in such competitions in India and other countries has boosted our confidence.” Terming last year’s robo soccer a ‘simple technical game’, he said: “This year’s robo soccer will be a bit more complex.” Students of various engineering colleges attended the seminar. “Twelve engineering colleges participated in last year’s event,” he said, adding: “Over a dozen-and-a-half colleges are expected to take part in this year’s event.”

Stating that making of prototypes alone won’t be enough, Ajay Dhakal, a technical officer at the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, said innovations should be replicated for the benefit of the masses.

“Choosing between rural technology and automation has always been a subject of debate. If we only concentrate on rural technologies, we will be left far behind in the modern world of automation,” said Dr Bhola Thapa, acting dean, School of Engineering, KU. “The excitement shown by students on developing ‘computer-controlled mechanical movement’ certainly deserves praise and we need to encourage them.” Neeraj Tamrakar, the team leader of the National College of Engineering, which stood first in last year’s event, said that events like these encourage students to be innovative. He hoped the robot made by his team would stand first this year, too. Encouraged by the events like robo soccer, engineering students of various universities have formed Robotics Clubs, which may go a long way in producing manpower and developing technologies that could prove to be beneficial for the masses.