Dahanu villagers learn to make robot cars

Growing up in Dahanu, robots were tech-driven elements that only existed in movies and cartoons for Aarti Gadekar and her friends, who have since taken their understanding of robots into a much larger canvas. The teenagers, who hail from Nareshwadi, Sakadwadi, Laxmiwadi and Kopargaon areas of Dahanu, are training to become future Robot Engineers.

The girls' project at the robotics competition in KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, whose theme was Robotic Cars

With the help of a few students from KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, these kids are dreaming big. At a robotics competition held at the college yesterday, three teams comprising six students participated from these villages. "The situation in these schools is unimaginable. Earlier, parents were not ready to send their girls to school, forget letting them become engineers," said Lakshmi Sherke, coordinator at KJ Somaiya, who helped the students get in touch with the engineering students. These teens have completed Level 1 and 2 of their training and will now advance to further levels.

The girls working on their project

"The journey from the village to here, to be a part of such a prestigious event is really overwhelming. I hope I live up to the expectations that I have set for myself," said Sheikh Alfiya, a class 9 student. For the students, the journey in Robotics, that started two months ago has not only enriched them in terms of sheer knowledge, but also made them come out of their comfort zones. "The way the censors work is really fascinating. The whole process of making a robot and when the robot finally moves is a really good feeling. I think engineering is my calling. I never dreamt of this before," Alfiya added.

Apart from getting exposed to the city, the children also found the interaction with the faculty and students of the college a step ahead in their journey. "We had heard about robots in films and cartoons, but never knew that their making could be so exciting. Since we know how to make basic robots now, we can go back and experiment more," said Aarti Gadekar, a class 9 student.

"When we found out about the condition of these children, we were really keen on meeting them. The response of the kids was great, they wanted to know everything, how one part functions, what is the importance, everything. The curiosity was something we really enjoyed," said Nikhil Anjane, a third-year engineering student.

Explaining the concept of Robotic Cars, theme for the competition, Anjane said, "Anything that you give commands to and have it follow your instructions in turn, is a robot. To understand that mechanism is really important for anyone who has interest in this field. The kids have learnt how to make a robotic car pretty fast, I'm sure they are going to go places."

Principal Suresh Kukarande, of the KJ Somaiya institute of Engineering and Technology, said, "I'm from a rural background as well. You never know where you land up. These things are beyond the syllabus and one should never hesitate from putting extra efforts and give back to the society. I think it's a great step towards change."