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Arctic car models galore at `Design Challenge'

Meera Srinivasan

A contest for engineering students to design vehicles suitable for conditions in Arctic

CREATIVE INSTINCT: A student takes a look at the car models designed by students at `Design Challenge' in Chennai on Saturday. — PHOTO: N.SRIDARAN

CHENNAI: Manoeuvring one's way through the Arctic region with ease may become a reality if some of the design models presented at Anna University on Saturday take shape.

Organised by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) of Anna University, `Design challenge' was an opportunity for engineering students to design vehicles suitable for conditions in the Arctic region. Participants had to keep in mind harsh terrain, sub-zero temperatures, feasible fuels and lubricants (that wouldn't freeze) and the vehicle's seating capacity.

Seven teams were short-listed for Saturday's finals. Students presented their designs in different dimensions using design software.

The winner of the contest, Amey. G. Dhuri, of Basaveshwar Engineering College, Karnataka, came out with a design based on the model of a military vehicle. He designed one with a streamlined body — "like a penguin" in his words — to facilitate easy mobility. "I have designed this vehicle in such a way that it moves on rocky and snowy terrains comfortably," he said. Its maximum speed was 60 km an hour. Ravi. N. Naik and Abhijeet Desai of K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai, were adjudged second.

A modelling contest was also held. Students had to present a model of an "Indian super car." Participants were asked to design a car with futuristic automobile styling techniques. S. Rajesh, of Rajalakshmi Engineering College, and Bharani Kumar, of Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering, won the first two places.

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