Every year, thousands of engineering graduates across India prepare for placements, hoping to land a well-paying corporate job. For many, receiving an offer letter is the ultimate reward after four years of hard work.But three engineering students from Chennai saw their future differently.Instead of joining multinational companies, Vignesh M, Vibhakar Senthil and Karthikeyan B decided to offer their engineering skills to solve one of the most pressing problems faced by the Indian Army working on the largest battlefield in the world – Siachen Glacier.Their idea has now led to an unmanned underground vehicle (UGV) designed to lighten the burden of soldiers carrying out some of the world’s most demanding missions.
A class project that became a mission
The three friends studied Mechatronics Engineering at SRM University in Chennai. In their first year, they joined a robotics program that encourages students to identify real-world problems and develop engineering solutions.Over the next few years, they built observation robots, built a single-seater solar powered car, and participated in several national competitions.While most of their classmates were preparing for interviews, these three had already found a different goal.He wanted to develop technology that would strengthen India’s defense capabilities.Instead of accepting the offer, he continued to research autonomous robotics and interacted closely with officers from the Indian Armed Forces and the Army Design Bureau to understand the challenges involved.
Why Siachen encouraged them
Siachen is unlike any other war.Located at high altitudes where the oxygen level is about half of that at sea level and the temperature can drop below 50 degrees Celsius, they test the endurance of people and how they can use the military every day.In these difficult conditions, soldiers often carry more than 60 kilograms of cargo, including weapons, food, communication equipment and survival equipment.The trio believes technology can shoulder some of that burden.
Construction Torus Robotics
In 2019, after nearly three years of research and field collaboration, engineers launched Torus Robotics in Chennai.Instead of importing existing technology, he chose to build everything from the ground up.One of their main achievements has been to develop natural gas engines that are about 50% lighter, 15% more efficient and 10% cheaper than similar imported solutions.Reducing dependence on foreign defense technologies, especially high-energy weapons, became one of the company’s main goals.
A robot built for combat
The result of many years of engineering is the MARS UGV, an electric unmanned aerial vehicle designed for military applications.The vehicle can be controlled remotely from a distance of one kilometer and has a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm that can detect and safely store explosive devices.The company is also working with BEML to develop a range of products that can carry heavy loads across high altitudes, reducing the burden on soldiers.If used extensively, such a machine could reduce the stress on workers in places like Siachen.
Recognition of birth defects
The initiative has already attracted national attention.Torus Robotics has delivered its MARS UGV to DRDO, received technical support from the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, and was recognized by iDEX (Innovations for Defense Excellence) as the first defense solution to provide an unmanned ground vehicle to the Indian Defense ecosystem.The company also won the Birla Global Innovation Challenge 2020, further proving its work in security technology.
More than engineering, the study of purpose
The stories of engineering graduates are often about high salaries, international companies and opportunities abroad.The journey of Vignesh, Vibhakar and Karthikeyan gives a different perspective.Their success shows that engineering is not just about building jobs, but about solving problems that matter.Choosing to innovate on a project that is just about to be written, he turned a college project into a technology that could one day make life safer for Indian soldiers operating in some of the world’s most unforgiving environments.Sometimes, great success is not placed on graduation.It is building something that serves the world.Disclaimer: This article is based on information shared by Torus Robotics, its founders, security platforms, and related reports. The workforce, deployment and technical capabilities mentioned are based on publicly available information and have not been independently verified by. The Times of India.