The Center for Continuing Education (CCE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mandi, in collaboration with Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam, Shimla, has concluded its first school camp ‘PRAYAS 1.0’ on robotics and artificial intelligence. It was a 22-day event that ran from July 1, 2022 to July 22, 2022.
PRAYAS 1.0 was a fully residential program where students learned the basics of robotics and artificial intelligence to create a fully automated system early in their careers. As many as 100 students were selected from over 1200 students across Himachal Pradesh and were given the chance to be a part of this camp.
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Over the three weeks, camp students were taught robotics and artificial intelligence, where they learned to use various programming techniques, sensors, actuators, communication devices, and power equipment to assemble various components to build a robot. Lessons include both theoretical concepts and hands-on sessions. In addition, the students were spoiled with various sports activities and were introduced to the different Labs on campus, such as Manufacturing Machines, Tinkering Lab and many others.
During their stay at the IIT Mandi campus, activities such as regular yoga and aerobics classes, Bhagavad Geeta sessions and motivational documentaries were shown. Also, the students planted more than 200 plants in nearby areas under plantation drives organized with NSS IIT Mandi,
At the end of the camp, the students were able to build a line-following robot, an obstacle avoidance robot and a Bluetooth-controlled car, along with processing sensor data and python language. They learned the basics of robotics and programming. The event also introduced them to the world of artificial intelligence and its applications. The teams were given a Take Home Robotics kit to further tinker with the technology.
PRAYAS 1.0 ended with a mega closing ceremony. As a reward for their hard work, an awards ceremony was held to honor the best of the best. The participants and volunteers were commended for their enthusiasm and dedication to the celebration.
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Prof. dr. Laxmidhar Behera, director of IIT Mandi, shares his view on the importance of this summer camp for young students: “I want IIT Mandi to have at least 50% students from Himachal in the future. The Institute wants to encourage the students to start an early develop proficiency in them and make the most of this opportunity; We also plan to call teachers from schools and ITIs to gain hands-on experience with IIT Mandi’s faculty and laboratory facilities.”
Prof. dr. Laxmidhar Behera informed the young students about artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics and shared many interesting anecdotes from his past experiences.
Speaking about the first season of Prayas 1.0, Dr. Tushar Jain, Head of Continuing Education Center, IIT Mandi, said: “PRAYAS 1.0 has ushered in the new era in Himachal Pradesh for technical skills development. It was quite a unique opportunity for Himachal’s youth which further motivated them to be part of IIT Mandi in the longer term. This PRAYAS 1.0 gave them the development of social, technical and human value skills.”
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