Robotic-healthcare solutions shine at KITEs state camp

Kochi: Student experiments blending robotics, healthcare solutions and social innovation took centre stage as the two-day Little KITEs state camp began at Startup Village, Kalamassery, on Wednesday.Organised by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) under general education department, camp highlights how students are moving beyond textbooks to develop technology-driven solutions for real-world challenges.Exhibition features a range of projects addressing disaster management and daily life issues. A standout was Robo-Arjun, an underwater submarine built by students from Malappuram in memory of a landslide victim. Other innovations included Tunnel Robo-X for inspecting inaccessible tunnels and an accident prediction system.Students also showcased assistive technologies such as Sonar Pulse for blind people and V-Glove, which converts sign language into speech. In healthcare, projects like Care Bot for elderly assistance and a remotely controlled Smart Pill Dispenser drew attention, along with Medi Rush, an app designed to help ambulances navigate traffic quickly.Environmental and agricultural solutions were also on display, including a microplastic water purifier, a coconut-harvesting robot Cocoroid and a smart leak detection system for water pipelines.Nearly 50 student-made animation films on themes ranging from war and disaster to space missions and environmental conservation were screened at the venue.Inaugurating the camp, KITE CEO K Anvar Sadath said Little KITEs activities, currently limited to high schools, will be expanded to upper primary and higher secondary levels.From over 78,000 students across 2,248 units, 204 finalists selected through sub-district and district-level camps are participating in the state-level event.