After watching a short documentary about space exploration and astronauts at school, Manishka Dubey, who was then in Class 1, ran to her mother and said, “I want to be an astronaut and want to learn to code”. Today, coding is an integral part of modern space exploration and helps aspiring scientists enable tomorrow’s missions with artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.
Manishka was just 6-years-old when she joined SP Robotics Works in Dehradun; she learned coding and different programming skills at the centre. She takes inspiration from the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla and wishes to programme and design space crafts and spaceships. Besides learning to code, Manishka has also participated in many competitions related to the abacus, robotics, mathematics, drones and coding. She recently won the National Coding and Robotics Challenge in 2022 for her project on “Emergency rescue unit by adding a satellite map system in the ambulance”.
Explaining the project, Manishka said, “GPS is a satellite-based navigation system. If GPS trackers are installed in ambulances, even a common man can keep track of these ambulance vehicles in case of an emergency. The nearest ambulance can be tracked and directed to the patient’s location; this helps a lot of time instead of calling an ambulance on the phone. This GPS technology also helps patients reach the hospital with minimal time using the shortest path”.
Manishka, with her project
Manishka’s project also included the idea of developing an app and developing an electric two-wheeler ambulance with the feasibility of having solar panels and plugin charges. She said, “This will help save fuel/gas and using solar panels, the vehicle can be charged during the day, and if need be, the vehicle can also be charged using electricity by night”.
Different ambulances where emergency rescue units can be installed
Manishka Dubey, is now a Class IV student from Mondrian House School, Dehradun. When asked about what today’s children should do to engage in technology, Manishka said, “If today’s children are spending more time indoors, it is best to engage in learning something that is not part of the regular curriculum. Learning coding and robotics will make us more creative and help us prepare for the future”.
About National Coding and Robotics Challenge
NCRC is one of India’s biggest competitions designed to give a complete experience for children aged 7 to 16. It is one of the best platforms for a child to start from the basics, learn to code and then submit the project for participation. NCRC, in their statement, said, traditionally, education was limited to theory-based learning. Subjects like science, computers and robots, which actually require extensive practical knowledge, have always been restricted to only theoretical knowledge in school classrooms. With the integration of technology in teaching-learning practices, digital classrooms and interactive e-learning solutions are gaining huge popularity in the Indian education system.
Coding and robotics
Coding and robotics are subjects that act like stimulators in new-age learning. When children are exposed to different technological devices, they develop an interest in exploring them. So, if they are introduced to the basics of robotics and programming languages at the right age, it can help stimulate their creativity and satisfy their curiosity.
SP Robotic Works
SP Robotic Works is an ed-tech start-up that is endeavouring to change India’s long-standing traditional education system through its pedagogy style aligned with the needs of the digital age. The edutainment company has about 81 dedicated centres across 31 cities to provide training in future tech like robotics, Internet of Things, virtual reality and drones in a fun, easy and hands-on learning experience. The company has also won several awards from the Indian Government, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), Women Economic Forum and CNBC. SP Robotics Maker Lab is the 1st private maker lab to have been internationally accredited by STEM.org, USA.
