IESL, UTE partner to inspire future engineers

From left: UTE CMO Nalin Manorathne, UTE CEO Riyad Ismail, IESL President Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda, IESL Young Members’ Section Chairman Eng. Dayan Herath, Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Sri Jayawardenepura Eng. Dr. Chamitha de Alwis

With the aim of promoting innovation and nurturing electronics and computing, United Tractor & Equipment Ltd. (UTE), Sri Lanka’s foremost engineering solution’s company, and the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), the nation’s apex body for professional engineers, announced the launch of the IESL-UTE Raspberry Pi Challenge 2017.

The Raspberry Pi, launched in the UK in 2012, is a low-cost, high performance microcomputer with a Linux-based operating system on a Micro SD. With its flexible capabilities and affordability, the Raspberry Pi has the potential to enable a digital revolution and foster creative and independent computing in a way that downloading the latest app does not.

Open to undergraduates at engineering faculties island-wide and young IESL members, the IESL-UTE Raspberry Pi Challenge 2017 is being held in Sri Lanka for the very first time. 

“Our goal in partnering IESL in organising this challenge is aimed at promoting creativity and learning in science and technology among our youth. While engineering is a focus in many of our youth programs and professional learning efforts we want to inspire Sri Lanka’s youth to make a difference, from innovating to helping the environment, to improving health and wellbeing, to dream big and bold for their future,” says UTE Chairman Prasan Fernando.

The IESL-UTE Raspberry Pi Challenge 2017 seeks to provide students with a stimulating platform of innovative creativity and risk-taking through a combination of design and coding, inspiring Sri Lanka’s next generation of tech experts.

“Over the years our young IESL students and youth have impressed us with their inventions. We believe the Raspberry Pi Challenge will be a revolutionary platform for young people to showcase their innovativeness and the power of technology to transform lives,” noted IESL President Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda.

Organisers encourage interested youth to form a team (not more than five members) and to submit an innovative and creative proposal using the Raspberry Pi with the aim of developing applications that can create value for society and possibly be commercially viable. Entry forms are available via www.raspberrypi.lk. The preliminary round of evaluation will be based on the teams’ proposed creative idea presented in the entry form. 

An eminent independent committee of experienced professionals will then shortlist 30 proposals. UTE will provide the selected teams with a kit including Raspberry Pi controllers and Rs. 8,000 as expenses towards the project. Teams are expected to document and record all stages of their project development to authenticate their work. The judging panel will evaluate each project based on novelty and innovativeness.  

The prestigious IESL-UTE Challenge Trophy will be presented to the winner. Additionally, attractive cash prizes totaling Rs. 1 million are also on offer. The winners will receive Rs. 250,000, runners-up Rs. 150,000 and the second runners-up Rs. 100,000. The winners will be announced and acknowledged at the gala IESL Awards Ceremony, scheduled for October. The winning models and prototypes will be showcased and given prominence at an exhibition booth at the TECHNO 2017 Exhibition organised by IESL also in October.