NASA, here we come!

A team of 13 engineering students from the city is all set to participate in NASA’s international ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) competition.

For a team of 13 engineering students from Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management, NMIMS —or Screwdrivers as they call themselves — taking a trip to NASA is not just the stuff of dreams. Competing for a coveted prize as part of NASA’s MATE international ROV competition, the team of nine boys and four girls is all set to represent India at the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Texas, USA this week. This is in fact their third visit to the space research centre. But this time, with over 70 teams participating from across the globe, the stakes are higher than ever.

So what exactly does the challenge entail Students are expected to build and design their own remotely operated vehicles from scratch. Mentor and professor Sawankumar Naik explains, “The tasks change each year but are always based on ocean engineering. This year, the theme is very special. NASA is going to start a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Since the moon also has water, the students would have to create a model, which will not only work underwater but also survive in space.” The design is completely revamped from the model that went last year, we’re told. And with various changes in design, the cost has come up to an approximately $1,000. Made over a span of five months, the robot, which the team calls ‘spyder’, has two parts — one that can stay above water and another that can go under it. It is fitted with two cameras and a robotic arm to collect samples.

Team leader Rishi Bafna, who has previously represented India at the same competition, is all too familiar with the competition at such international forums. “I’ve been a part of this team for the past three years. The initial years were the learning stages and now since I’m the head, I’m going to implement things that I’ve learnt into the project. And representing the only team from India is a huge responsibility for us,” says the 23-year-old. Vijayender Joshi, the technical head of the team had to burn the midnight oil for this project more than once. He says, “We were finally able to meet the deadlines by staying up late in the night at the workshop with the team. We were also able to design an elegant chassis and custom electronics. The USP of the ROV this year is its weight, which at 15 kg is a huge leap from the 30 kg one we built last year,” he adds.

One of the youngest members of the team, 21-year-old Shambhavi Tripathi says that the project was a lot of fun too. “It’s fun working with seniors. It is at this competition that I could put my textbook knowledge to practical use and that’s the best part of it. This is also the first time I am travelling to the US, which makes this competition all the more exciting for me!” says Shambhavi.