Children try their hand at robotics at a camp and (below) engineering students work hard at making robots in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 2: Robotics is fast becoming a favorite pastime of children. It is also invading homes.

“The perspective of people towards using robots at the workplace and even at home has changed completely. We have many domestic clients in Bhubaneswar. People seem to want to use robots in their daily life,” says Kushal Nahata, CEO of Robotic Wares, Bhubaneswar. Nahata provides technological solutions and organises robot camps for technology students and children.Hriday (13) is excited as he gives the final touches to his wiring task assigned to him by the class instructor. Sixteen-year-old Jyoti is busy working on a circuit that will help her robot pick up a ball and set it aside.

With a number of technical institutes coming up in and around Bhubaneswar, technology is the newest craze among youngsters. While some pursue it as a hobby, others are gearing up for careers in the field of light, touch and sound sensors. Robotics is the new buzzword and it’s gaining popularity among the youth with every passing day.

While a few institutes offer courses on making robots exclusively for engineering students, some will teach school children too.

Like courses on computer software and hardware, students need not have a science background to study robotics, say experts.

Prof. Srikanta Patnaik, chairman and executive Director, Interscience Institute of Management & Technology, Bhubaneswar, says: “Robotics is one of the niche areas for the engineering students.

He added: “At the same time, students from a non-technical background can also try their hand at developing robots that can be used in their own areas of expertise. People from various fields are interested in developing robots to help them with monotonous jobs. Of course, anyone who wants to work in robotics must be technically savvy.”

Sakhya Singha Mohapatra of Gateway, which offers training in robotics, adds: “There are a few basic courses that give a clear picture of the logic behind working of robots; logic that even school students can pick up. The course helps them understand electronics and since they create what they learn, in a fun and practical manner, students love these courses.”

Various programmes for school students include robotic mechanics and robotic electronics. These modules focus on building blocks, sequencing and basic electronics. Students are taught theory about the anatomy of a robot, the dynamics, degrees of freedom and also about the various types of autonomous robots and micro-controller robots. Then there are lessons on sensors that can be used for line tracing, grid tracing and wall sensing.

The hands-on sessions train them to mechanically design robots. They are also trained in sensor configuration, kit identification and then assembling the kit, which usually includes DC motors, wheels, chassis, infrared sensors, micro-controller ICs and motor driving circuits.

BTech students can be seen flocking to take up courses like advanced robotics and robotic missions that give detailed training on programmable logic controllers and supervisory control and data acquisition. Various institutes in the city offer these courses.

Students from non-technical educational backgrounds as well as young corporate employees can be found assembling sensors and motors. “It’s exciting to know you can actually make a robot that can pick up objects, place them or avoid obstacles,” says 25-year-old Sushant, a tech-savvy commerce student.

Second-year mechanical engineering student Ankit is preparing himself for the various robotics competitions held in engineering colleges across the country. Ankit is taking a course on machine intelligence and soft computing.

The course fees vary from Rs 4,000 for 45-hour courses to Rs 6,000 for 60-hour programmes. With all the fun and excitement it has brought to youngsters in the capital city, it looks like robotics is here to stay.