AI, robotics, data science, renewable energy... all this and more and were showcased in Innovacion, an international fest held in Sector V recently.
Organised by the Institute of Engineering and Management (IEM) and University of Engineering and Management (UEM), the event drew participation from across borders in the form of projects, research posters and the like.
“Highly successful companies like Google and Facebook were started by students, proving that innovation can be born in classrooms and not just boardrooms,” said Prof Arun Kumar Bar, principal, IEM.
Convenor of the event, Prof Prabir Kumar Das shared how all their students are given arduino kits so they can constantly build and improvise.
An arduino kit includes a variety of electronic components to help beginners learn coding and electronics through hands-on projects.
The event also feted 2026 Padma Shri awardee santoor player Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya.
“Music has the power to transform our minds,” he told the youths. “It brings out the best in us. It’s a positive drug after which you will not be attracted to anything negative,” he said, before playing his instrument for the audience.
They also honoured Moumita Dutta, scientist-engineer at Isro who has worked on the Chandrayaan missions.
“Set clear goals for yourselves and keep sharpening your skills. When you approach your seniors with a problem, also go with a plausible solution. Be prepared for sleepless nights and stay hungry for success,” she said, adding a special message for women.
“Gender discrimination is in your head, and you have to prove yourself through your work. If you need to take a break from your career, do so, but make sure you return. Above all, take care of your health, especially your mental well-being.”
Here are some of the projects showcased at the fest.
1. IEM students bagged the top two prizes at the YUVAi Global Youth Challenge held during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi earlier this year. “We beat 20,000 entries,” beamed Samaraho Mukherjee, who, along with Meghnad Debnath, developed Agnisena, an AI-powered early forest fire detection system.
Winners of the YUVAi Global Youth Challenge
“The existing systems rely on satellite imagery, which can be slow, expensive and susceptible to a high number of false alarms,” the students explained. “Our system overcomes these drawbacks and operates at a frequency that does not disturb birds and wildlife.”
The duo received the first prize of Rs 15 lakh while the second prize of Rs 10 lakh went to Chirashree Pan and Debasmita Pal of the same college, for developing an AI-powered platform for the early detection of dysarthria, a speech disorder that affects the ability to articulate words.
2. Antara Santra and Goutam Ghoshal of the host college had brought what looked like a small refrigerator, but its purpose was more innovative.
“This is a fruit ripener,” said Antara, pointing to the mangoes and bananas inside. “Many fruits in the market are ripened artificially using carbide, which is harmful but preferred as it works quickly. Instead, we are using ethylene gas and controlled humidity to ripen the fruits safely.”
She explained that mangoes naturally take 10-12 days to ripen, while carbide reduces the process to five or six days. “With our system, we can ripen them in just one or two days,” she said.
3. Tanusree Sarkar’s team showcased a kinetic sculpture that resembled a mechanical bird. But instead of feathers, its wings were fitted with solar panels.
“We wanted to create something that is aesthetically appealing and functional,” said Arghya Roy. “This can serve as a decorative piece in a garden while harnessing solar energy. At present, the energy generated is enough to power the flapping wings of the sculpture but with further development, it could generate more power. We hope to build one like this for our campus, for starters,” he added.
4. One group proposed a chainless bicycle based on a crank-rocker mechanism (a system in which a rotating crank converts circular motion into a back-and-forth rocking motion).
“Chains lead to power loss and require regular maintenance,” said Tanmoy Mondal, who developed the project with teammate Pintu Jana of Shree Ramkrishna Institute of Science and Technology, Sonarpur. “Without a chain, there is no need for lubrication and there is no risk of the chain snapping and coming undone.”
The prototype, however, is still being refined. “The only catch is the braking system that isn’t is perfect yet but we’re working on it,” Pintu added.