The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Displaying their mechanical skills

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Displaying their mechanical skills

K. Manikandan

Out of 45 models, 10 will be shortlisted for finals

AUTO DERBY: Engineering college students in their designer soap cars at the SISCAR Derby 2005 held at B.S. Abdur Rehman Crescent Engineering College, Vandalur, on Thursday. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM: Forty-five teams from engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu are taking part in a jamboree of sorts at the B.S. Abdur Rehman Crescent Engineering College, Vandalur.

Students of mechanical and automobile engineering shuttled between automobile spare parts shops, mechanic sheds and lathes and converted a portion of their house into a mini car assembly unit.

The third edition of the SISCAR Derby 2005 conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers of the college has 45 entries of `soapcars' - cars without engines designed to travel freely when rolled down from a slope. The soapcars are engine-free gravity powered car having just the wheels, steering and brakes. According to organisers, the competition was held once in three years solely to test the creativity of students of mechanical and automobile engineering.

Wonderful experience

Students in teams of three to four designed their cars at their houses and shared the expenses. For many students, it was a wonderful experience putting into practice, the basic principles and lessons they learnt in their classrooms.

Out of the 45 models of the soap cars, 10 would be shortlisted for the finals to be held on Friday.

Academicians and those from automobile industry would judge the winners.

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