Engg students do an Aamir

Camera-Mounted Chopper Model Bags First Prize At Aero Event

Shreya Bhandary | TNN

Mumbai: Two first-year students from the Thakur College of Engineering (aircraft maintenance) won the first prize at an aerospace event held at the IIT-Kanpur Aerospace Engineering Centre last Saturday. Their inspiration, say the winners who returned to the city on Wednesday, was the Aamir Khan starrer and student film 3 Idiots.

“Although this machine is known in the aerospace industry, we were inspired to make it after seeing the movie,’’ said Nilesh Rai (19). Named the Quadrocopter, it is replica of the model made by one of the students in the movie. The model has four sets of bracelet motors set in each of the four corners of a wooden frame and it can be flown with the help of a remote control. “We have also installed a wireless camera on it and a thermal detector to read the temperature around it,’’ said Sanjay Singh (18), who along with Rai, built this machine.

It took 20 days to build the machine, and the raw materials used cost both the students a whooping Rs 45,000. “Thankfully, our parents are very supportive. They not just encouraged us, but also funded our project. Even our professors liked our idea and helped us each time we faced hurdle, especially our instructor Subhajit Maity,’’ said Rai. Amidst 200 other participants, these students brought home the winning cup, certificates and a cash prize of Rs 5,000.

Two others from the same institute came up with another model called the ‘Pheizo Electric Runway’ which works on converting pressure into electricity.

“Each time an aircraft lands on a runway, the air pressure is very high and thissame pressure can be converted to generate electricity,’’ said Kaushal Gohil (18), who along with classmate Anuj Chauhan created this model. This model was also among the head-turners at the event.

These kids were accompanied by two of their professors Prakash Pawar and Varun Bhattacharya for the event.

4 IDIOTS: The students with their models which were displayed at IIT-Kanpur. (R) The ‘Quadrocopter’