Why Kaar?

'Who made this?'

The Indus guy apparently liked the video more than the Kaar!

The engine

'Tum log konsa engine use karo ge? motorcycle ka?'

'Nahi, us se bhi chhota!'

'Nahi to battakh ka engine lagana hai?!!!!!!!!!!'

('You guys are going to use a motorbike engine?'

'No, an even smaller one!'

'So, its going to be a duck's engine?!!!!!!!!'

The Indus-trial

Indus Toyota Motors had invited all teams from Pakistan to send in their designs to them so that a technical committee would review them and select a team, and sponsor them in their project.

After an apparently thorough review, they shortlisted three teams from the northern region (which included 15 teams from UET Lahore, UET Taxilla, EME College NUST, GIKI and Air University).

Kaar was among those shortlisted, and on the 17th, we met Shehryar Piracha from Indus Motors, who was interviewing all the shortlisted teams. It was apparent that the main hurdle to Kaar being sponsored was the Indus Motor's budget. After a discussion with him, members of the teams decided that despite all the odds, we will not compromise on the efficiency of the vehicle.

However, whether or not we are funded, the fact that we were shortlisted shows these things:

1. We are among the 3 best teams from the northern region at least

2. We are the best team in the Urban Concept Category from the northern region at least

3. We are among Indus's best shots at getting some glory for themselves and the nation

Woodwork for the body

This should have come before, but the Kaar is beginning to get into shape, with the wood work of the body completed.

The wooden structure would be used as the pattern for the final fabrication in fiberglass composite material.

Obviously, in its present state, the edges are quite sharp, but these would be properly curved once the final stages of fabrication begin. This was something mentioned at the SEM Media event, although the implications from certain quarters that the extension of the kaar in 3D would increase the co-efficient of drag by three times (3D, get it?) were deemed too puerile and attempts at sabotage! :-)

For us, the fact that a friend from Cornell in US has called this design cool is enough!

While the Petroleum Minister, Naveed Qamar was kind enough NOT to visit any stall at the SEM Media Launch event, the Dutch Ambassador and the guy from Malaysia (High Commissioner I guess) showed keen interest in our project.

We weren't going to miss a few snaps, were we? :-)

SEM 2010 Media Launch

The SEM 2010 Media Launch was, quite frankly, a disappointment!

There were no big multinationals as Shell Pakistan promised. There were no potential sponsors. There was no media either!

The only media personnel that were there either didn't cover the event well, or didn't cover it all. The top two dailies of the country got it horribly wrong. Dawn's report today (18th) is full of inaccuracies that include the 'fact' that Petroleum Minister Naveed Qamar visited the stalls of the team. He left immediately after his terse speech without visiting the stalls. The News didn't make such errors, but that was more because of the lack of coverage than anything else.

So, now to the event itself...

15 teams from NUST, GIKI, UET Lahore, UET Taxilla and Air University set up their stalls. In fact, the students were there from around ten am. The event itself was to begin no earlier than 3.30 pm.

In fact, Kaar took center stage right from the beginning as we were the team whose work showed at the stall. The showcase item was the wooden replica of the body, which was painted in bright colors, but which, more importantly, would be used for the final construction with fiberglass composites.

Among the 15 stalls on display were the following:

Teams Aqua and Panache from GIKI, Teams PakWheelers, Bekaar (ours obviously), Zaafir, Rumy and Fursaan from EME College NUST, Teams Wolverine, Innovators, Synergy and Team UET from UET Lahore, Team Bolt from UET Taxilla and Team Hexa-K from Air University.

Later on in the show, both the teams from GIKI stole the limelight as they brought in their vehicles, which are in an advanced stage of development.

And yeah, just as a formality, among those present were the Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan and some high ranking guy from Malaysia (ok, so I have forgotten their names). Students from NUST PNEC and GIKI, who participated in SEM 2009 in Germany last year also gave lots of tips to the participants.

Lots of people said lots of things...

working on a dream