IIT-B students win big for unique car design

IDC students bag second prize in the SIAM’s (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) Automotive Design Challenge at Motor Show 2018; MIT-Pune wins first prize

The IIT-B students receive their prize at the Motor Show 2018

A team of students from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has reasons to celebrate. A car designed by students of the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Powai institute has won the second prize in the SIAM's (Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers) Automotive Design Challenge at the Motor Show 2018. The team's futuristic autonomous sports car, which has been designed to drive on its own, has been applauded for encouraging the possibility of changing the car's body/skin as per the vehicle owners' will.

Bringing more cheer to the state, students of MIT-Pune have bagged the first prize at this prestigious auto event.

Speaking to mid-day, second-year IDC student Vishnu CP, who conceptualised the IIT-B car's design with his classmate Dheeraj K, said, "Considering psyche of the future generation, the car has been conceptualised such that the vehicle owner can submit designs they likes to a service centre, where the body/skin of the vehicle can be changed without much difficulty. The idea was to make a vehicle that will never be old for the owner. It's common to see high-end phones or gadgets 'losing their charm' when a new phone or gadget on the same lines enters the market. Under such circumstances, it must be a dream come true for car owners if they can change the appearance of their vehicles."

Vishnu CP (left) and Dheeraj K with their conceptualised car

IDC professor Sugandh Malhotra, who guided the team in this project, said, "We wanted to design a futuristic car that can incorporate intelligent technology while accommodating the driver's wishes. So, the driver can also utilise his own talents and skills to upgrade the vehicle. It's not entirely autonomous, but the car augments the inherent strength of the driver and that is what clicked with the jury members, too."

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