Here is a list of kernel events that we can expect in APOGEE 2018:
Full Throttle Grand Prix (FTGP)
Full Throttle Grand Prix is a remote-control (RC) car racing event on a specially designed track. The event tests contestants’ ability to build an IC engine powered RC car, as well as their ability to drive it on difficult tracks against stiff competition. The event takes place over two rounds – a time trial on a track with increasingly difficult turns, and a final in which teams race it out to become victors.
APOGEE Innovation Challenge
The APOGEE Innovation Challenge offers students a chance to work on real life problems faced by a company. Students can form teams of up to three and select problem statements from a list provided. Every team will be provided with up to thirty days to come up with a solution. Judges from the various companies will then select the top five teams. The prizes for the winners include monetary rewards and internships.
Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend is a network-centric hackathon wherein participants transform their ideas into a Minimum Viable Product. The event is organised by TechStars and backed by Google For Entrepreneurs, with a global coverage of over 150 countries with chapters in over 1800 cities. Mentors are also available to aid participants on an assigned day. The built product is presented to a jury on the last day of the event. Perks and awards include $300 in credit from Google Cloud Platform to build mobile and web apps, a free dot (co) domain, and access to community benefits and discounts.
Mechanix
Mechanix is a competition where participants are supposed to innovate and provide a new approach for a mechanism. The primary goal is to build a device using only mechanical and hydraulic components. Teams can consist of three to five members. There are three rounds – an online quiz, a virtual CAD solution for the problem statement, and a final round where the selected teams must fabricate the mechanism from scratch using the provided inventory.
IStrike
IStrike features programmed robots in an intense battle against the clock. Contestants are required to locate an optimal route through a maze by employing image processing algorithms using an overhead camera. They must successfully navigate a robot through this course and avoid any obstacles or roadblocks along the way. The maze has been designed to test the robot’s reactions to potential obstacles and its ability to distinguish between real and artificial barriers in color coded regions.
AirBorne
In an exciting intersection of engineering fundamentals and design, participants will be made to apply theoretical flight models to create a remote-controlled hovercraft that can handle up to two hundred grams. The prototype will then be tested in a competition with other crafts on a track designed to test its functionality. The first to overcome the pre-designed obstacles and finish the course will be deemed victorious.
Reverse Engineering
Reverse Engineering or “discovery through analysis”, is widely gaining traction as an indispensable tool in today’s market. The technique is often adopted by organizations to develop new products, improve existing products, and study the technology of competitors and market leaders.
In the competition, participants will have to prove their understanding of fundamental engineering concepts such as analytical reasoning and deduction. They must study existing products in the market and devise competing models.
International Coding League
‘Talk is Cheap. Show me the code’ – Linus Torvalds
The International Coding League, a pre-APOGEE event hosted by BITS-ACM, challenges participants in the art of competitive coding. Students will be competing against the best minds in the country in a programming challenge designed along the lines of the ACM-ICPC. Efficient, succinct, and innovative code will be required to succeed.
Stock Market Simulation
Investment is largely seen as the best way to grow money, with the global stock markets accounting for $69 trillion of the world’s $294 trillion financial assets. It is only natural for one to wonder how the stock market functions. Stock Market Simulation—a collaborative effort of the Economics and Finance Association and BITS-ACM—attempts to do just that, with not only a mock stock market but also live news updates and an app-based bidding system.
Dual Mode Vehicle Challenge
Ever since the inception of motorized vehicles, man has dreamed of a vehicle that can traverse all terrains. This APOGEE, that dream can be achieved in the Dual Mode Vehicle Challenge, where teams must build a remote-controlled vehicle that can navigate both land and sea without human intervention. The event consists of a preliminary round where the vehicles’ “all-terrain” capabilities will be tested, followed by a final round where the vehicle must complete two laps of a given circuit in the shortest possible time.
Robots At War (RAW)
Warring robots are a crowd favourite in every tech fest across the country. Robots at War (RAW) is APOGEE’s rendition of the same. RAW is an event in which participants pit remote-controlled robots against each other using various attacking tools such as cutters, flippers, and lifting devices. During the event, bots fight in an arena, and the last bot standing is declared the winner.
Indian Drone Racing League (IDRL)
Indian Drone Racing League, conducted by 1 Martian Way Corp, is the biggest of its kind in India. This exhibition is currently in its second year. The Indian Drone Racing League is a group of pro and amateur First Person View (FPV) Drone pilots. This kernel event is expected to draw a lot of viewership in APOGEE 2018.
Robot Soccer
With recent advances in technology, robots have been able to walk, talk, and even play rule-bound sports. RoboSoccer is an event in which participants design an autonomous or remote-controlled robot. This robot must be able to play soccer in compliance with the rules of the sport.