KATHMANDU: How can a robot face the diverse topography of Nepal – from the Tarai plains to the tortuous rugged Himalayan terrain – to transport communications equipment to Pokhara and salt to Mustang?

Robots designed to navigate such harsh terrains will be put to test at a competition to be held at the Military Education and Training Centre at Rajdal Battalion based at Lagankhel of Lalitpur district on June 25.

Nine groups of engineering research organisations, affiliated to the Tribhuvan University (TU), the Purbanchal University and the Kathmandu University (KU), are to conduct demonstrations with their robots, said Nisban Dhakal of the Technical Research and Development Centre, TU Institute of Engineering (IoE).

The competition would be held in a knock-out format allowing only three minutes to each contending robots to simulate how they transport the communications equipment from Tarai to Pokhara and salt to Mustang.

Dhakal added the robots that would succeed to get the job done in the shortest time span would be awarded the title 'Sahi Ho' (that's right).

The representatives of the winning team as well as the first runner up would get a chance to participate in the International Robot Competition to be held two months later in Bangkok as observers.

The competition titled Mustang Yatra (Mustang Journey) will help usher in a revolutionary change in the country's science and technology realm, organisers claimed.