Pratinav Mongia, coordinator of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), took a break from work for a chat with the APOGEE English Press (AEP) about their work, ahead of APOGEE 2023. 

ASME will host ‘Water Rocketry’ and ‘Robo-Olympics’ this year. Water rocketry is a simple and exciting event where competitors will design and build a rocket that adheres to defined parameters. Launched rockets are scored on height, distance, and accuracy. The Robotics Olympiad requires contestants to present a robot that can accomplish a series of challenges under given time constraints. Robots are then assessed on speed, accuracy, and efficiency. Pratinav and his crew will be providing all the event equipment and judging the event. 

Besides fest-related work, they have built a drone in collaboration with Team Robocon as part of the SAE Aerothon event and will be participating in the ASME EFx later this year in Bangalore. Pratinav’s favorite aspect of the college fest is gauging the participants’ intuition and problem-solving skills. He finds it fascinating to observe them tackling the posed challenges and devise creative solutions. In addition to this, he values the opportunity to collaborate with a committed group of students and faculty members who share his enthusiasm for mechanical engineering.

Pratinav concluded that he enjoys being the club coordinator with a sense of new direction. He was pleased with the CoStAA and the Institute’s support with funds and assistance. Satisfied with the efforts and contributions of all those associated with ASME, he expected the current iteration of the annual technological extravaganza hosted by BITS Pilani to be a success.