Pinoy students in tech race

Filipino engineering students from eight premier technical schools will test their intelligence, creativity and driving skills in a unique race using Bosch cordless technology at the Boomland Kart Track in the CCP complex in Pasay City on May 15.

The race is one leg of the Asia-Pacific circuit that Bosch has organized to culminate in the grand finals in Beijing on Sept. 21-23. Winners from legs in Thailand, South Korea, China, Malaysia and the Philippines will converge to determine the top dog in the region.

Last year, Bosch held the first-ever cordless race in Shanghai and the competition for students from 14 schools was a resounding success, prompting the creation of an Asia-Pacific circuit to spread the word on the efficiency of cordless technology.

Local organizers expect a tight contest among the entries from eight technical schools – Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Calamba, Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong, Mapua Institute of Technology, Rizal Technological Institute, Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of the Philippines in Diliman, University of San Carlos in Cebu and University of Mindanao in Davao.

Each entry is made up of up to five students, including a driver and an alternate, plus an adviser. Only one designated driver will steer the kart during the race. The karts will be driven by Bosch cordless lithium-ion power tools. The race will involve time trials with the winning team to receive P100,000 and the chance to compete in Beijing. The second placer takes home P75,000 and will also represent the Philippines in the Asia-Pacific conclave. The third finisher earns P50,000. The top three finishers will also be given Bosch tools.

The Manila leg will be a whole-day event to feature, as an added attraction, a cheer dance contest for pep squads of the eight participating schools. There will also be presentations on Bosch cordless power tools and performances from the dance group Velasco Brothers and cager-turned-rapper Alex Crisano. The program will end with the awarding ceremony and an evening concert starring Amber, General Luna and Parokya Ni Edgar.

“Innovation and skills transfer is an important part of the Bosch philosophy,” said William Go, Bosch country sales director for power tools. “The cordless race championships will provide engineering students a challenge in creating race karts powered by Bosch tools. Bosch strongly believes in building the future through technical and engineering innovation.”

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Rossel Velasco-Taberna, managing director of Outbox Media Production Agency, said that last January, Bosch invited 50 technical schools to submit blueprints of their entries using lithium-ion batteries to power their karts. The top eight schools were then chosen by Bosch to compete in the Manila leg on the basis of their designs. Bosch later provided each school with a P100,000 budget and eight sets of cordless power tools with lithium-ion batteries to complete the creation of a kart.

“We sent invitation letters to 50 schools and chose the first eight schools that were able to submit all the requirements on time two months ago,” said Taberna. “The eight schools were given seed money of P100,000 each and Bosch lithium-ion batteries to power the karts plus free use of Bosch equipment necessary for building the karts.”

Taberna said at the moment, the eight teams have finished with all the technical requirements and each kart is efficiently running. “They are now working on aesthetics, having a free will to design the body of each kart,” she continued.

All five students and the adviser of the top two finishing teams will fly to Beijing for the Asia-Pacific Cordless Race Championships.

‘We are very excited about working with students from universities, technical colleges and vocational schools,” said Go. “We likewise anticipate the opportunity to foster education and inspire the future generation’s creativity.”

There are no standard designs for a kart. Obviously, the lighter it is, the better are a kart’s chances to finish ahead of the pack.

“Vehicle design and other modifications are geared towards optimizing lithium-ion tools and pairing proper gear configurations to produce higher speeds,” said Taberna. “Race teams will battle for a place on the podium while simultaneously, creating a competitive proving ground for Bosch lithium-ion technology’s power, performance and durability.”

Lithium-ion, widely used for cellular phone applications, has revolutionized mobile communication. Bosch has taken this technology a step further by fitting its world-class power tools with lithium-ion batteries, resulting in greater work efficiency for professional users.

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In a Bosch press release, it is stated that the company’s premium lithium-ion battery is capable of delivering four times longer battery life compared to similar technologies in the market and is also 30 to 40 percent lighter than NiCd batteries but just as powerful as corded tools. The current Bosch cordless line features a patented Electronic Cell Protection which guards the battery against overload, overheating and deep discharge.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Bosch which was established in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch as a “workshop for precision mechanics and electrical engineering.” In the Philippines, Bosch operates three major business units – Power Tools, Automotive Aftermarket and Automotive Original Equipment. Bosch Power Tools has been in Asia for 83 years. The Power Tools division has been at the forefront of innovation and technical excellence and last year, introduced over 100 products to the Asian market with emphasis on cordless and other innovative technologies as well as user-friendly features including anti-vibration control.

Bosch regional sales director for ASEAN Chu Chee Bee said the company’s rich tradition is the foundation for a bright future. “The celebration of 125 years with the Bosch Power Tools Asia Cordless Race highlights Bosch’s aim to encourage and support long-term creativity in design and engineering among the future generations,” he said. “Through this platform, we hope to build experience, knowledge and skills for our youth to contribute to Asia’s future burgeoning economy.”

As for the race itself, Chu said “it is important to emphasize that everyone is a winner, whether they finish first or last (because) what matter is the attitude to challenge convention and adopt a winning mentality.”

This Wednesday, Bosch will launch the first Asia-Pacific Cordless Race Championships in a press conference at the Cowboy Grill, Quezon Avenue. Representatives of the eight schools participating in the Manila leg will be introduced to media. A prototype kart created by Bosch will be unveiled. The eight competing karts won’t make their appearance until race day. Showbiz personality Drew Arellano will host the affair. An audio-visual presentation of the Bosch lithium-ion technology and other innovations will be the highlight.