Small technologies can go a long way in changing people’s lives — this was the message that resonated at the NGO Bhumi’s ‘Nakshatra Robot Fest’ on Sunday.
A simple sensor that can close a level-crossing gate when a train is nearing, an infrared sensor that can be used to move equipment or products on industrial floors and a software to welcome guests at the expo were just some of the small, yet amazing innovations that children came up with after training under the volunteers of Bhumi, an organisation that works with children.
Chitti robot
Class IX students of Avvai Home, who called themselves ‘Fire Girls’ — S. Muthulakshmi M. Andyammal S.Sinduja, S.Sukanya D. Sushmitha — had made the Chitti robot for welcoming guests. They had used material lying around the home including cardboard boxes to design the robot. This underscored the theme of the fest - reuse and recycle.
Apart from the Robot fest, children also participated in singing and clay modelling competitions. The team from Ramakrishna Mission Students Home in Mylapore that sang Mukunda Mukunda — S. Sathish Kumar, S. Vinoth Kumar (harmonium), R. Ashok, S. Saktivel (tabla), J. Kishore and S. Ganesh — said they enjoyed singing songs.
“We plan to form a troupe and get into the entertainment industry,” they said.
Nirmal from Child Haven Home and Nivetha from the Children’s Home for Hope did well in the clay modelling competition.
Over 600 children from around 50 orphanages across Chennai participated in the finals. In the preliminary events, as many as 1,538 children from 58 shelter homes took part.
K.K. Prahlathan, co-founder of Bhumi, said that the organisation had two core areas of work — education and civic projects — and as a platform, it mobilises over 12,000 volunteers in more than 12 cities.
