Team Phoenix, comprising students from engineering colleges across Goa, is the only
student team in the state that deals with robotics. This robotics society,
formed by different engineering college students from across the state, came
into being three years ago and was founded by the students of Padre Conceicao
College of Engineering (PCCE) and Government Engineering College. Its total
strength is 20 students, from which, 11 are from PCCE, four from Goa College of
Engineering, two from Don Bosco College of Engineering, two from Agnel
Institute of Design and one student from Rayeshwar Institute of Technology.
The team has taken part in competitions at IITs, BITS Pilani,
Techyon at PCCE and many more. They recently took part in an international
robotics competition at IIT Bombay and made it to the quarter finals. In 2017,
they won the robotics event at IIT Madras. Team Phoenix also conducts workshops
for schools. As of now, they’ve conducted workshops in 20 schools and colleges
under the banner of Sci-Fi. They’ve worked with students as young as those in
Stds 8 and 9 of Sharada Mandir School, Miramar, on the line follower.
At the recent Science Film Festival that was held in Goa, they
were a part of the National Buildathon. They were also part of a press conference
on local television for the same, due to winning a prize for Best Creativity
and Design for a robot.
So what makes Team Phoenix so special?
“They are mostly second year students. They balance both, their
academics and their passion for robotics in order to truly rise to the top and
be all-rounders. They work after college hours and on holidays as well, to grow
and work together as a team,” says Aditi Silveira, Assistant Professor, PCCE
Verna.
They use the lab at the Centre for Incubation and Business
Acceleration (CIBA) to work on their bots. “Their workshop is based in Loutolim
and they travel all the way to work here. The competition at IIT Bombay that
they attended was during the week of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Yet,
they decided to sacrifice that precious time with their families in order to
compete at this international robotics competition,” adds Aditi.
The members of the team have decided to take on this endeavour
because robotics is truly their passion. “They believe that this is a practical
way of applying all their engineering knowledge. Such experiences, in their
words, give them an edge in the industry. They have picked up business acumen
and communication skills since they are self-generating and self-reliant in
terms of funds and sponsorships. Their funding comes from sponsors, workshop
money, prize money, entry fees and sales of products,” she adds.
Robotics
is an expensive affair, but that does not deter Team Phoenix! Their belief is
that every workshop and competition is a learning opportunity, where they gain
and give knowledge. Team Phoenix one day looks forward to being a start up in
automation in Goa, with the aim of also conducting workshops at all the
educational institutions all over the state.
