BD robotics team to compete in Nasa’s ‘LMC’

DHAKA: An automated robot created by robotics team from the School of Engineering and Computer Science of BRAC University will battle for championship in Nasa’s third “Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition (LMC)” this year.
 
Mobile Phone operator Robi Axiata Limited is the sponsor of this tour to NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. The prestigious event will take place from May 21-26, 2012 in Florida, USA.

Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, Professor Ainun Nishat, launched the BRACU ChondroBot on Wednesday at BRAC University Indoor Games Room.

Robi Executive Vice President, Brand and Market Communication M Zabid Ahsan, General Manager, Brand and Market Communication, Gazi Emran Al-Amin were also present along with students and directors of the university as well as Chairpersons of different departments at the inaugural ceremony.

The (LMC) is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Top 60 teams from all around the world are participating at LMC, including Harvard University, Virginia Tech, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and McGill University etc.

BRAC University is the first Bangladeshi team to participate at such an event. Robi sponsored the team to carry on the research programme to invent the lunar excavation device.

NASA will directly benefit from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities that may result in clever ideas and solutions, which could be applied, to an actual lunar excavation device or payload.
 
It all started in September 2011, when NASA approved BRAC University’s entry for the second time.
 
A team of from BRAC University is competing at the on-site finals at Kennedy Space Center, including Dr M Khalilur Rhaman (Faculty Advisor), Dr M Mosaddequr Rahman (Faculty Advisor), Dr Mohammed Belal Hossain Bhuian (Faculty Advisor), Mohammad Jonayet Hossain (Team Leader), Mahmudul Hasan Oyon, Kazi Mohammed Razin Anik, Sarah Binte Nasir Nabia, Miran Rahman, Nabil Shaker Rahi, Bonny Amin Khan, Fahim Al Hasnaeen, Mohona Gazi Meem and Khairul Hassan.
 
The team analyzed past success and failures of others and have been able to design a simple, yet efficient and reliable, tele-robotic system for lunar excavation.

BDST: 1846 HRS, MAY 16, 2012

Edited by:

Abul Kalam Azad, Newsroom Editor
M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor