Brandix adds apparel-specific award to SL Robotics Challenge
View(s):Brandix has introduced a new, apparel industry-specific Innovation Award into the mix at the 2014 Sri Lanka Robotics Challenge, which is organised annually by the E-Club of the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering of the University of Moratuwa, and being held this year on December 12.
According to Brandix, it has set “contenders the challenge of building a robotic arm that can pick up single pieces of fabric from a stack and place them in a reverse-order stack within a specified area, within five minutes. The entire stack may not be picked up at once, reversed in the air and placed in the new location, and the pieces of fabric cannot be damaged or folded in the process.
The team that produces the best fabric handling robotic arm that meets the challenge will receive a cash prize of Rs. 250,000 from Brandix, an opportunity within the Group to build or refine the robot, opportunities to connect with global robotics specialists, an employment opportunity to work on the prototype, and if the product is commercially viable, seed funding and assistance to register a company from Disrupt Unlimited, the Brandix-led start-up seed accelerator”.
Elaborating further, the company also stated that the “robotic innovation that completes the process will thereafter be provided an opportunity to be implemented as a solution at Brandix facilities in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh”. It also noted that a “Brandix Innovation Award winner who ‘successfully fails’ in his or her endeavour has the option of continued employment within the Group”.
Brandix also let it be known that it would be taking up the role of principal sponsor for this year’s Sri Lanka Robotics Challenge, which will see top rated Moratuwa university inventors competing for the chance to represent Sri Lanka at the next Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai-organised International Robotics Challenge.
(JH)