WB-HACKATHON

Programmers develop industry-scale hardware solutions at
IIT-KGP hackathon
    Kharagpur, Jul 14 (PTI) Young programmers from
different parts of the state designed and developed hardware
prototypes, which could be employed to address various
industrial challenges, during a five-day hackathon here.
    Altogether 93 participants from seven states displayed
sensor-enabled models, which can track assets, prevent thefts
and save lives during crisis, at 'Smart India Hackathon 2019-
Hardware edition' at IIT-Kharagpur, one of the 18 nodal
centres in the country where the event was held between July 8
and 12, a statement issued by the institute said.
    Shailendra K Varshney, a coordinator of the hackathon
at IIT KGP, said the annual event, supported by the Union
government, gives young minds an opportunity to think
creatively and showcase talent on a national platform.
    "Smart India Hackathon is an innovative platform to
ignite young minds to think and solve problems with the help
of technology. It is learning through innovation!" he said.
    Five winners received an award of Rs 1 Lakh each from
the Union Ministry of Coal for their prototypes.
    Among them, Team Gravity Plus from Lingaya's
Vidyapeeth, Faridabad, developed a sensor to locate victims
trapped under mining or building debris.
    Another team from Sri Ramakrishna Engineering
Colleges, Coimbatore, received Rs 50,000 from Garden Reach
Shipbuilding Yard for its hardware solution in insulating
auxiliary and deck machinery motors in naval ships.
    Ambudhi Shukla, deputy manager, Garden Reach
Shipbuilding Yard, said, "Students bring into play new
concepts. They have worked well and devised cost-effective,
simple solutions which can be implemented industrially."
    The statement issued by IIT-KGP said the event aimed
at bridging the gap between industry and academia to improve
competitiveness of Indian goods and services in global market.
    "What started as an initiative to playfully involve
students to think creatively has emerged as a major initiative
which has seen youth from all over India think hard and come
up with solutions for problems facing the country today,"
Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, the officiating director of IIT-
KGP, said. PTI SUS
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)