This is an interesting news item* on Robocon Asia Pacific 2008.



Dr D.C.Misra

September 6, 2007



*`Robot Govindas' to break handi in 2008

Express News Service

Posted online: Thursday, September 06, 2007 at 0000 hrs



PUNE, September 5: Maharashtra's popular Janmashtami festival and
the practice of breaking the dahi handi is all set to go high-tech.



In September 2008, the `Govindas', who form the human pyramid to
break the dahi handi in cities like Pune and Mumbai, will be joined by
robots from 20 countries across the Asia Pacific.



The Robocon Asia Pacific 2008, a robotics competition, organised
internationally by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasters Union (ABU), will have
manual and automatic robots designed by engineering students from
various countries performing set tasks modelled on the lines of the dahi
handi practice.



Robocon, which began in 2002 to foster good relations between the Asia
Pacific nations, is usually based on a specific theme unique to the
culture and traditions of the host country. This year it is being hosted
in Pune by the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) and Doordarshan
(DD). With MIT's official selection as a host in August 2007, the
theme has been announced to be dahi handi.



"We wanted the competition to be based on an Indian mythological
event that could also be converted into a game. After contemplating a
number of ideas, we finally settled on dahi handi," said Sunil
Karad, executive director of MIT and chief convenor of Robocon 2008. The
robotic version will be a symbolic dahi handi, where automatic and
remote-controlled robots from two opposing teams will be required to
retrieve butter cubes.



"There will be a manual zone for the remote-controlled robots and an
automatic zone for the automatic robots," said Karad. While
intermediate rounds will be held in the participating countries between
January and May 2008, the final round will be held in Pune between
August and September 2008.



(Source: Indian Express, New Delhi, Thursday, September 06, 2007, p-9,
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/214688.html, accessed: September 6,
2007)



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