The IESL-UTE Raspberry Pi Challenge 2017 has entered a milestone second phase drawing record interest from undergraduates and school students.

Organised by United Tractor & Equipment (Pvt) Limited (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, the IESL-UTE Raspberry Pi Challenge 2017 promotes innovation through smart solutions among university undergraduates and school students.

The initial phase, calling for applications and proposals has already been completed. Organisers received nearly 140 entries; 60 entries were received from Undergraduates and 70 entries received from A/L and O/L students.

“We have received a great response with nearly 140 entries in total and were impressed by the scale of innovation showcased. We are extremely appreciative of UTE in coming forward to sponsor this popular global challenge in Sri Lanka and promote such a culture among our youth,” said Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda, President IESL.

For Round two, organisers have confirmed a total of 31 teams to move onto the second stage of the challenge. Of these, 21 teams are from Undergraduates and 10 student teams have made it to the shortlist.

All competing teams in this phase have been briefed on the requirements of the challenge during a meeting with IESL and UTE. The competitors have also been provided with the Raspberry PI device and information on how to use it. All teams have one month prior to the final evaluation before the winners are selected.

During the next phase, teams are expected to document and record all stages of their project development and authenticate their work. Teams have also been instructed to upload a video on Youtube demonstrating the progress they have achieved.

“Our aim in sponsoring this challenge is to promote innovation, collaboration and experiential learning among participants and stimulate students’ creativity and innovation. We believe it is vital to provide the necessary infrastructure at these levels to nurture our leaders of the future,” said, Nalin Manoratne, Chief Marketing Officer, UTE.

The Judging Panel will evaluate each project on the progress made, its novelty and innovativeness during the first week of August.

The winners will be announced and acknowledged at the gala IESL Awards Ceremony, scheduled for October. The prestigious IESL-UTE Challenge Trophy will be presented to the Winner in addition to an attractive cash prize of Rs 250,000.

Runners-Up will receive Rs 150,000 and the 2nd Runner-Up, Rs 100,000 respectively. Winners in the Students Category will receive an attractive cash prize of Rs 75,000 and a trophy, Runners-Up will receive Rs 45,000 and the 2nd Runner-Up, Rs 30,000. 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.