Introduction

The very 1st edition of Junkyard Warz in Techniche’10, IIT Guwahati welcomes you to the biggest ever Junkyard event in India till date. Bigger in all aspects, say it concept, competition level, organization, exposure, prize money and everything you can even dream of.
This is the closest you could possibly get to actually performing magic. The participant teams are given access to a junkyard and the facilities of the workshop, and are required to build a machine in a given amount of time.
It's hard to make science any cooler than this!

Event

Junkyard warz is basically divided into three phases:

1. QUESTIONNAIRE (to be sent as reply to the organisers till last date)
   Questionnaire contains questions based on the technical details, innovation, creativity, ideas, design, presence of mind and your ability to solve a problem at hand. There is no restriction on the thought process.
2. PRELIMS @ IIT Guwahati (28th Aug ’10 – 30st Aug ‘10)
   A major earthquake has hit the plateaus of Northern India. You and your team are among few survivors without any scratch. But, your story doesn’t end here. Everything around you is in complete mess. The victims have to be transported to St. Mary Hospital in nearby plains. You have a maximum of 9 hours to prepare a “mechanically operated multi-task vehicle” from the debris and junk spread around you, comprising mainly of bicycles. The primary tasks to be done by your vehicle should be:-
   a. To transport the injured from the earthquake site to the nearby St. Mary hospital.
   b. To bring back the food, water, medicines and other supplies from the hospital to the site.
   c. Any extra advantage with the vehicle is always appreciated and will be adequately rewarded.
   
3. FINAL SHOWDOWN (1st Sept ’10 - 5th Sept ‘10)
   In light of your successful rescue operation in the immediate earthquake scenario (done in prelims round), your team has been awarded the Medallion of Supreme Humanitarian Effort. The whole country looks upon you and admires your social-engineering capabilities. Continuing the same effort at greater level for greater cause, the Government of India has asked you to design and fabricate an earthquake-rescue vehicle model which must have following features:-
   a. It is compulsory for the vehicle to be a 4-wheeler considering the stability of vehicle and safety of the payload and must be fabricated from a 3-wheeler auto model. In brief, you have to modify the front suspension of the body and design a driving mechanism for its easy and smooth handling.
   b. It must be more efficient compared to the earlier model in context of speed, payload capacity, control etc. and should be capable of be used for fast transportation of victims and supplies even on rough terrain and dirt tracks.
   c. It must have some mechanism(s) for debris removal in the way or at the accident site.
   
   Remember: Your vehicle must have all the safety features that could be installed in the given scenario for driver safety as well as safety of payload & victims you are carrying on it.

Rules and Regulations

1. Participation is allowed only through invitations properly sent by the organisers of Junkyard Warz. No photocopy of the registration form will be accepted. To place a request for registration form, please contact the organisers.
2. A team will consist of max. 6 students from the same college/university registered under B.TECH/BE (or equivalent) courses.
3. The team can be guided by a faculty member but he will not be allowed to enter the working area.
4. The teams are also allowed to bring their own mechanic. However, the organisers can also provide mechanics, prior request for which is needed to be sent.
5. Any negligence/fraud on the part of the participating team, once detected, will lead to immediate disqualification.
6. The mechanic can help the team in the workshop by giving ideas and pointing errors but he will not be allowed to do any physical work.
7. The entire job has to be done by the tools and the junk provided by the organisers only.
8. No junk, tools or working kits have to be brought by the participating teams. If anyone is found to possess any tools from his/her own side, his/her team will be immediately disqualified.
9. Though any reference book/guide/information will not be provided by the organisers, participants are allowed to take the help of any reference book/manual for preparation purposes.

Organisers

FAQ

Q1.) Is Guwahati a completely safe place to be in during Techniche’10?
Ans. Yes, Guwahati city, proper, has not seen any breaches of security or actions of terrorism. Any such events reported have had their impact zone in places remote to Guwahati. IIT Guwahati being located in North Guwahati is situated in the peaceful suburbs of Amingaon (north of Brahmaputra River) and this area has never seen any piece of violence till date. Additionally, presence of a CRPF camp in the campus itself means you need not worry about your security. Spending time in IIT Guwahati campus for you will be a sort of holiday trip with lots of learning.

Q2) What are the food and accommodation facilities available for the participants?
Ans. According to the participants who visited our campus last year for Techniche ’09, our hospitality is one of the best offered by a college in India. We assure comfortable pricing of food and accommodation in the campus as well as in the working areas for the event. All further details regarding hospitality will be sent to the selected teams at the appropriate time.

Q3) Why should we come?
Ans. The Junkyard Wars at IIT Guwahati is not just a great opportunity to apply your knowledge in the practical field, but is also a bigger stage for exhibition of your skills. Your whole engineering knowledge and aptitude will be put to test in a technical war with other teams of India. It is an opportunity to bring your ideas to life. So, if you think you are able to keep your college flag high enough among the heavy metals of innovations across India, your place of action is here.

Q4) How to reach Guwahati?
Ans. Guwahati, the gateway to North East India, is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of the country. There are direct air services from/to New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai with connectivity to all major cities in the country. Direct train services are available from/to all major metropolis and cities in the country. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jetlite, Kingfisher, Spice Jet and Indigo operate regular flights to and from Guwahati.

Q5) Is IIT Guwahati well connected to the main-town Guwahati?
Ans. Regular buses of IIT Guwahati ply between the main-town Guwahati and the IIT Guwahati campus every hour of the day. All participants will be provided proper boarding of IIT buses to reach the campus. In addition, taxis and auto-rickshaws too are always available for IIT Guwahati campus with fares ranging from INR 150 – INR 300. For any other problem, our hospitality team will always be there to help you out of the situation.

Q6) Is the health certificate and fitness test really necessary?
Ans. Considering the nature of the job to be performed by the participants, it becomes absolutely necessary for us to be convinced about the fitness levels of the participants, in order to avoid embarrassing situations. In case of any abnormality, the entire competition will be affected by giving the other teams an unprecedented advantage. Hence, all participants need to meet the minimum fitness criteria for participating in the event.

Q7) What are the criteria for reimbursement of travel expenses borne by the participating teams?
Ans. All the participants will be reimbursed the amount corresponding to a one way Sleeper Class ticket to Guwahati by train from their respective city, irrespective of their mode of travel. They have to show their travel ticket to our authorities to have their reimbursement validated.

Q8) “We have no deep understanding of complex machine specifications and parts in the automobiles we are going to deal with in the event. So, how can we ensure that our team does not face any difficulty in the event?
” Ans. Concerning the level of the event and its participation, the knowledge of the parts of automobiles and tools required to operate upon them is an undeniable necessity to be at par with other participating teams. So, proper understanding of automobiles and their accessories is expected from your side. No elaborate technical help will be provided at the event venue. You are required to bring your own technician. In case you are unable to do so, you need to make a prior request for a technician from our side. However, it is advisable to bring your own technician for better team work.

Q9)How is safety concern of the participants addressed?
Ans. Each team is required to have at least one member with training in first aid and use of fire extinguishers. The participants should be experienced with the tools they use, and should make their own decisions regarding safety equipment. The event organizers recommend that safety procedures be followed at all times, and that hearing, eye, and hand protection be used whenever necessary, though we do not enforce this policy. If a participant is found to be acting in an overtly unsafe manner, he/she will be penalized. The decision of the organisers regarding any such penalty will be final and binding.

Q10) Why does all the building have to be done in one place: why don’t you let teams build their machines at home, or at their company shop, and then bring them to the contest?
Ans: Having the entire building take place at one location, adds a lot to the contest, in terms of the energy of the event, and the tension of competition from other teams and adhering to a given deadline. Moreover, the presence of other teams induces special intrigues in the minds of the participants. Did they think of something you didn’t, or are they going down a blind alley?
It also fosters an atmosphere of cooperation, as teams are encouraged to share tools, materials, and technical advice. Plus, having the entire building take place in one location creates a more level playing field.

Q11) Is there an alternate registration procedure apart from the method specified, like an online method or registration by email?
Ans: No, to register for this event, you need to fill up this form and send this to us. We have not kept any other registration ports open.