ISRO has extended an invitation to students for the creation of a wheeled rover destined for future missions through the ISRO Robotics Challenge (IRC).
This competition, open to students nationwide, follows ISRO’s announcement of its continued robotic exploration plans, post the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission landing on the Moon’s southern pole in October 2023.
ISRO Invites Students To Participate In A Robotic Challenge
The IRC, introduced via ISRO’s Twitter account, aims to foster innovation in space robotics and serve as a showcase for students to spotlight their capabilities. It also aligns with ISRO’s broader objective of identifying and recruiting talented individuals for forthcoming missions.
The specified wheeled rover is expected to function across a spectrum of environments, including the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies, performing diverse tasks such as sample collection, photography, and terrain exploration.
ISRO organises
— ISRO (@isro) November 13, 2023
ISRO Robotics Challenge-URSC 2024
(IRoC-U2024).
India's student community is invited to design and implement a Space Robot, encompassing both hardware and software aspects.
A springboard to showcase innovative ideas, receive rewards, and collaborate in… pic.twitter.com/T5Y0xACvgR
As per reports, registrations for this challenging event are set to kick off on November 20, 2023, and will conclude on December 15, 2023.
ISRO Robotics Challenge-URSC 2024 (IRoC-U 2024)
ISRO’s official statement on the challenge reads: “To provide the opportunity for the students in the area of space robotics, “ISRO Robotics Challenge-URSC 2024 (IRoC-U 2024)” is organised with a tagline of “Let’s build a space robot”. The challenge consists of an engineering project where the Institutional teams build robots to compete in an extra-terrestrial-inspired arena, performing tasks based on the real-life challenges faced by space robotics. This is an invitation for the student community for the design and realisation of a ‘Wheeled/Legged Rover’ encompassing the development of complete hardware and software. The solutions provided by the students in IRoC-U 2024 have a greater chance of getting incorporated into ISRO’s future interplanetary robotics missions.”
The challenge also aspires to establish a standardized platform for enthusiasts venturing into the exciting field of space robotics.
Evaluation of winning teams will be a combination of jury reviews and assessments of sportsmanship. The top-ranking team will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, the second-place team Rs 3 lakh, and the third-place team Rs 2 lakh. In addition, ISRO will grant a consolation prize of Rs 1 lakh to two teams. The ISRO Robotics Challenge Day is scheduled for August 2024 at the URSC Bengaluru Campus.
