Desk Report,
First-ever ‘Robotronics Fest’, a battle of technology-loving youth
The ‘Robotronics Fest 2025’ was held at Dhaka University (DU) with the participation of the country’s technology-loving youth. This is the first time such a competition has been organized under the joint initiative of DU’s Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Department and RME-DU Student Club.
First-ever ‘Robotronics Fest’, a battle of technology-loving youth
The closing ceremony of this innovative technology competition was organized at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban auditorium of Dhaka University on Sunday afternoon. DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan was supposed to be present as the chief guest. However, he could not come as he was busy with other work at the university. About 800 students from about 50 schools, colleges and universities of the country participated in this two-day fest. The competition was held in five segments: Soccerbot, Line Follower Robot, Micromouse, DU AI Challenge (Datathon) and Project Showcase. In Soccerbot, competitors controlled remote-controlled robots and attempted to score goals against their opponents (similar to a game of football). In the ‘Line Follower Robot’ competition, the robots created by the students had to follow complex lines to reach their destination. In the ‘Datathon’, students used artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to observe, model, and predict data to find practical solutions.
Innovative projects and research-based ideas were presented in the ‘Project Showcase’. The ‘Micromouse’ event was the main attraction of the fest. Here, the robots created by these young people had to solve a maze using artificial intelligence.
In his speech as a special guest, DU Treasurer Professor M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, ‘I envy you. You have come at a time when AI has come. We also considered ourselves lucky to have found Google.’
Jahangir Alam also said that he is not afraid of technology. AI may change the structure of the job market. But it will not destroy jobs. Rather, it will create more. This skill plays a big role in hard work. It turns a few hours of work into a minute. Those who do well in such competitions or Olympiads are also ahead in getting opportunities in famous universities abroad. Therefore, robotics and AI labs should be set up in every school. Children should be trained on machine learning and deep learning. Murtuza Zulkar Nain Noman, Joint Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Department, said that for the first time in the country, the ICT Department is working on innovation design and entrepreneurship development. Its scope was up to the college and university level until now. From this year, efforts will be made to reach every upazila-level school. In the last one year, grants have been given to 41 startups for innovative ideas from this project. Graduate and postgraduate students in universities in the country and abroad can also get grants.
Congratulating the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Professor Upma Kabir said, the department has completed a decade. In the meantime, it has organized many things. Next year, this event will be held on a larger scale and with more people. Dhaka University, out of its commitment to the country, takes various initiatives to build the country and move the country forward.
President of the event (Chair) and Chairperson of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, Professor Senjuti Rahman said, this is the first nationwide event of this department. This is the first time there has been an unprecedented response. So many students registered that the registration process had to be closed at one stage. Because, such a big event for a small department is difficult. This interest of the students has inspired them.
Professor Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Assistant Professor Md. Mehedi Hasan and others spoke at the event.
