Saarang Sumesh, a seven-year-old from Kochi, is a fun-loving boy who loves to play chess. But one of his hobbies sets him apart from his other classmates — building robots. The Std. II student from Choice School, Kochi, has a keen interest in building robots to help people. So much so that his stall at a science exhibition, TECH FOSS 2K16, held in Kochi, was one of the most crowded ones, with people flocking to see the three robots he had kept on display.
I called him recently to know more about his creations and he happily gave me the details. Saarang has made all his robots using Lego robotic kits. His love for robotics blossomed when his father, an electronics engineer, got him a robot-making kit when he was four years old. On seeing the interest he took in it, his parents introduced him to Lego.
Toys that function
So far, he has made a walking stick that can detect if there is any obstruction in front of it, a remote-controlled auto rickshaw, a cleaning robot, a Lego calculator and a humanoid robot that can fire bullets. The enthusiasm in his voice is evident as he talks about his robots. “You can attach a wet cloth to the robot and it keeps rotating to clean the area,” he says, explaining how the cleaning robot works. “Also, there is a device in front of the robot that pushes the dust that comes in the way,” he adds.
For his next project, Saarang is planning to build a seat belt that will automatically release if fire is detected.
To enhance his knowledge and interact with more people from the field, Saarang is planning to attend a robot show in Bengaluru. He is also planning to send his ideas to a contest launched by former President APJ Abdul Kalam where a blueprint of a robot can be sent and the best concept is awarded a prize.
Saarang’s dream is to spread robotics awareness in India.
You can subscribe to his YouTube channel, Saarang’s World (bit.ly/1PHxJYF), for updates and watch him build his robots.
