Electronics and Communication Engineering Department of Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon organized a five day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on ‘Embedded System & Advanced Robotics’ from 23rd to 27th June 2014 in association with ARK Techno Solutions & IIT Bombay.

The objective of this FDP was to provide hands-on experience in Robotics projects and embedded system to the faculty. The robots were fabricated using various hurdles such as broken lines and misguided paths to test the stability and sensing capabilities of the robot to the maximum. The workshop was inaugurated by Hon’ble Principal Prof. (Dr.) M.N. Hussain.

The trainer Mr. Kelvin introduced the idea of building a robot to the participants. He briefed the participants that building robots involved the development of a wide range of skills, including creative thinking, design, mechanics, electronics and programming, all of which are highly valued in industry. He also told that rapid advances were being made in robotic control systems, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and in the miniaturization, sophistication and reliability of electronic circuitry, sensors and actuators. Robots currently under development may become widely used in the food, clothing, nuclear and offshore industries, healthcare, farming, transportation, mining and defense.

To provide hands-on experience all the faculty members were sub- divided into teams of three each and a hardware kit was provided to each team. The hardware kit consists of the board contains popular microcontroller of Atmel AVR more specifically called ATmega 8, having 8 Kb program memory and 2 channels having capability of driving 2 dc motors, Bluetooth module, LCD and touch screen, Rasberry Pi, IR and sound sensors, potentiometer, accelerometer and other basic electronic circuitry. During this programme, the faculty members grasped the practical applications of Transmitter & Receiver Module /LCD Display, Analog Inputs, Bluetooth & Raspberry Pi.

A total of Fifty seven faculty members from various departments (ME, CSE, IT, App Sc., ECS and ECE) of DCE, Gurgaon participated in the workshop. This FDP provided a learning platform to the faculty regarding fabrication of various types of robots, and embedded system applications.

Overall, the FDP laid stress on hands on training and thus has been quite informative and useful for the faculty members. They can use these skills to impart knowledge in the related field to the students so that the students can make creative projects related to Robotics & Embedded System.