Students find innovative robotic solutions to environmental problems with handholding from IIT alumni

IIT Madras hosts Aquatic Cleanup Drone Challenge Hackathon showcasing student innovation in robotics to combat water pollution.

Seven teams of engineering students on Tuesday successfully displayed autonomous aquatic robots at the finals of the first edition of the Aquatic Cleanup Drone Challenge Hackathon at the Discovery campus of IIT Madras in Thaiyur, Chennai. The event to showcase innovation in robotics by students was organised by PALS, an initiative by IIT alumni.

C.N. Chandrasekaran, chairperson of PALS, said the seven successful teams were selected from among 51 colleges. The aquatic robotics competition brought together seven student teams from engineering colleges, showcasing cutting-edge prototypes designed to tackle the growing issue of water pollution. The event was co-hosted and supported by Deepcyan Software (Mumbai), Cu-Circuits (Chennai), and the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), in a strong multi-disciplinary collaboration.

“The winners have worked in developing aquatic cleaning drones. It is truly inspiring and addresses a pressing environmental issue. The innovation, dedication, and collaborative spirit reflect the essence of what we aim to achieve through the PALS platform,” said Mr. Chandrasekaran.

Many business leaders, who are IIT alumni are part of the PALS initiative, participated in the robotics event on Tuesday to handhold the engineering students towards innovation in robotics.

Sankar Kanagasabai, IIT Delhi alumnus and chairman of Shree Renga Polyster Private Limited, said his company was collecting PET bottles from waste to manufacture clothing in Karur. “We have to focus on innovation to prevent plastic pollution of the ocean and waterbodies. The engineering students at the event have displayed the spirit of innovation. We also need political will to make such innovations successful,” he said.

R. Krishnamurti Rao, an IIT alumnus and PALS champion, said all the seven teams did well and went beyond the normal kind of work they do. “The students have an opportunity to showcase this for the industry,” he said.

The hackathon is a pioneering effort that encourages engineering students across India to design and build unmanned surface vehicles capable of collecting floating debris from rivers, lakes, and canals. This challenge not only cultivates technical skills but also fosters entrepreneurial thinking among students, while directly contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goal of clean water and sanitation.