Techfest Over the Years
Over the years Techfest has achieved fame as the Mecca for all technology enthusiasts. As Asia’s largest Science and Technology Festival, it has completed a decade in celebrating technology and will enter into the next decade in with Techfest 2008. This year, in its biggest incarnation ever, Techfest strives to provide an even larger platform for the exchange of knowledge. With more than 30,000 participants from a thousand colleges across India, Techfest showcases the cream of technological talent in the country. Since going international in 2004, Techfest has welcomed an increasing number of teams from countries like the USA, Singapore, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Besides encouraging the vibrant student community, Techfest hosts faculty as well as corporate participants with its menagerie of Lectures, Exhibitions and Workshops.
Competitions
There’s no bigger arena than the variety of competitions at Techfest to prove your mettle. Competitions epitomize the core philosophy of Techfest by pitting the best minds against each other and bringing out the most creative ideas. With prizes above Rs 7 lacs, competitions have helped build the Techfest brand name.
Full Throttle
Nothing pumps adrenaline as much as a race with I.C. Engine monsters. With a prize of $ 1000, the drag racing competition Full Throttle in 2006 and its sequel with races on dirt tracks Full Throttle: Afterburn in 2007 saw fierce competition, mean machines and became an instant crowd hit.
Micromouse
An irreplaceable part of Competitions, Micromouse has become the most anticipated event of Techfest ever since the competition was first held in Techfest 2004. Participants build and compete with autonomous machines designed to navigate a maze. The winner is assured instant fame and a handsome purse of $ 1000.
S.N.A.P.
Synchronized Navigation and Processing took the technical prowess needed to win a competition a whole new level. An image processing competition with a reward of $ 750, the problem statement required the participants to build a computer controlled navigator which was able to cross a path using images from an overhead camera.
Nexus
Making its debut in 2007, Nexus is the national robotics challenge presented by Techfest. Last year’s problem statement involved designing a machine that could pick up balls from one area and drop them in another. Zonal rounds in 4 centers across the country culminated in Void at Techfest ’07. This year, Nexus was held in 7 centers, making it an even bigger national event.
G.R.I.P.
Set in the backdrop of the International Space Station, The Galactic Recovery Instrument Probe (G.R.I.P) had to be designed to save the ISS from impending disaster. Aiming for a prize of $1000, competitors had to build a machine able to traverse a grid of cylindrical pipes while carrying a certain weight along with it.
Survivor
Techfest took a bold step in 2005, applying Darwin’s theory of natural selection to machines. Participants had to design a machine that could climb a plane, survive a 1m fall, and follow a line autonomously for total prize money of $ 2500. A nail-biting competition made it one of the most exciting events of Techfest both for participants and on-lookers.
Prayaas
Organized in association with the National Association for the Blind (NAB) and Happy Hours Center (HHC), Techfest hosted Prayaas – an initiative to use technology for a socially relevant problem. Students were asked to build innovative aids for the physically challenged. Some great entries included a prosthetic arm, hands free web browsers etc. As a continuation of Drishti, Prayaas exemplifies Techfest’s aim of encouraging socially relevant technology.
Chemsplash and Last Straw
If you have some wacky ideas on chemical engineering and want to mess around with chemicals, Chemsplash is the place to be. With events like Chem-e-Car that involved building a completely chemical powered car and Dexter’s Den that allowed students to come up with their own mathematical models, Chemsplash was aimed at all chemistry lovers. Last Straw is a budding civil engineer’s delight – an opportunity to build simple, yet versatile and strong structures using nothing more than Popsicle sticks and straws! Competitions like Interconnections, Tremors and CONCREaTE have continued the tradition and always end up attracting the maximum participation at Techfest.
Open Events – Open Software, Open Hardware, Open Design
Here are Events that have just one rule – Let your imagination run wild! Anything that can improve life in the future can make it as an entry here. So, what are you waiting for?
Lecture Series
Bored of all the mundane lectures in college? Techfest brings some of the most famous people in science and technology to you through interactive sessions that are bound to leave you mesmerized. From lectures on cutting-edge technology to discussions on IIT’s role in the future, Lecture series has always been a star attraction at Techfest. Speaker, who have graced Techfest in the past include Honorable President of India, Dr. A. P.J. Abdul Kalam, Prof. John Nash Jr., (Winner of Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994), Prof. Kevin ‘Cyborg’ Warwick, Dr. Rodney Brooks (CSAIL, MIT), Dr. Jayant Narliker (eminent astrophysicist), Dr. Amar Bose (Technical Director, Bose Corp.), Dr. K. Kasturirangan (ex-Chief, ISRO), Sir Roger Penrose( eminent mathematical physicist), Mr. Narayana Murthy, Mr. Sam Pitroda, Mr. Rajat Gupta, Mr. Richard Stallman among others.
Workshops
Workshops play a major role in fulfilling Techfest’s aim of spreading the latest science and technology by living up to the saying “Learning by doing”. Students get a unique opportunity to apply the theory they learn and have fun interacting with the speakers. Past editions of Techfest have hosted workshops on Aeromodelling, CAD, Animation, Forensics, HAM, Robotics, AI, Fuzzy Logic, Smart Materials, Digital Filmmaking, Computer Security and many more. The robotics workshops held since the past few years at Techfest have become enormously famous and have a cult following of their own.
HUB
The HUB, recently reincarnated as Ozone, is the destination for all the on-the-spot activities at Techfest. From mini-quizzes to problems that test your creativity and spontaneity, from lectures to bike shows, HUB has it all. With limitless freebies and infinite fun, HUB is the most happening place during Techfest!
Exhibitions
Exhibitions at Techfest provide an exhilarating experience for viewers with a glimpse into cutting edge technologies. A unique learning experience for people from all walks of life, Exhibitions at Techfest are not to be missed.
The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition was held for the first time outside the UK at Techfest 2007 with life-size prehistoric dinosaurs alongside mind reading machines.
IIT Bombay’s R& D Exhibition (’03, ’05, ’07) has portrayed the high level of research carried out in the host institution. Past editions have showcased innovative research in fields varying from water harvesting systems to the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
Arizona State University’s Mars Rover Exhibition in 2006 was just the second time people outside the USA got a glimpse of the research that went into making the Mission to Mars successful.
ISRO also displayed the story of India’s foray into Space and the planning of ‘Chandrayan – 1’, India’s first moon mission. This exhibition in 2006 gave every Indian something to be proud of.
The Indian Navy Exhibition in Techfest 2004 was the first of its kind and size held outside a naval dockyard.
Other exhibitions include the Para-jumping by ‘Aakash Ganga’ team of the Indian Air Force and Air Force Exhibitions in 2006 and 2002.
Technoholix
If you thought Techfest was just for nerds, think again! Technoholix, held at the Open Air Theater (OAT) after dark, is nothing short of a mega concert. Technoholix showcases art and technology coming together and provides entertainment through the three Techfest nights. With 10,000 people enjoying themselves to the fascinating display, Technoholix has an electric atmosphere like no other. Techfest 2007 showcased Robowars for the first time in India. Mean machines battled it out in a special arena with roars from the crowd. The enthralling display of techno-juggling by artists from the UK was also one of the highlights of Techfest, ’07. Techfest 2005 was the first time a Formula One Car came to India when the McLaren Mercedes MP4-15 was put on public display. Techfest 2004 had Mr. Ferenc Cako performing for the first time in India. His world renowned Sand Animation Show included figurative drawing to the sound of music. Besides these, Technoholix in the past have included humanoid robot soccer matches, India premiere of the sci-fi movie 'Aeon Flux' and the grand finale of the SciTech Quiz hosted by Barry O'Brien. Riding high on its golden past of ten enchanting editions, Techfest 2008 ushers in the dawn of a new decade, one that promises to be exciting and captivating. The next decade will see many old records broken, new innovations displayed and a vast amount of knowledge shared but one can never forget the contribution of the solid base left behind by the first few editions of Techfest. To put it in Newton’s words, "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
