GP sponsors BUET team heading for URC

Grameenphone (GP) recently announced its sponsorship of a brilliant team of space enthusiasts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), as they are set to participate in the prestigious University Rover Challenge (URC), organised by the Mars Society.

The University Rover Challenge is a globally recognised robotics competition held annually in the desert of Southern Utah in the United States, said a press release.

As an initiative of the Mars Society, the renowned and influential international non-profit organisation dedicated to human exploration and settlement on Mars – URC challenges student teams to design and build the next generation of Mars Rovers, ultimately contributing to future missions to the Red Planet.

Representing Bangladesh on the international stage, the BUET team named “Interplanetar” is heading for the finals of the University Rover Challenge 2023 which took place from May 31 to June 03 in Hanksville, Utah of USA. The team has developed an innovative four-wheeled rover called “Prochesta V1.0” that boasts features such as all-terrain autonomous travel, extreme retrieval and delivery missions, equipment servicing using a robotic arm, soil analysis for micro-organisms and nutrients, and much more.

Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman said, “I am excited to see the Interplanetar team and quite literally their out-of-the-world idea, pushing past obstacles and earning Bangladesh a name beyond borders. Their zeal and perseverance show the resilience of our youth, and if they win, then Bangladesh wins. The spirit of adventure and possibilities ahead gives me hope and I am sure it will inspire our youth to conquer new horizons. It gives me immense pride and joy that Grameenphone is part of this winning journey of mankind’s voyage to Mars.”

Team Interplanetar has already gained recognition in prestigious international competitions around the world. Their notable achievements include securing the 8th position globally in the European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2022, and emerging as the top non-European team in the contest. Furthermore, they achieved the 4th position in the ERC 2022 remote edition, the 5th position in the University Rover Challenge 2016 held in the USA, an Innovation Award in the International Planetary Aerial Systems Challenge, the 11th position in the ERC 2021 Remote Edition, the 16th position in the ERC 2019, and the 13th position globally (2nd in South Asia) in the ERC 2020.

Fostering a passion for innovation and learning among the youth, Grameenphone is facilitating the journey through its holistic vision of building a digital-focused country where technology plays a vital role. Prochesta V1.0 is anticipated to showcase the pinnacle of technology integration, demonstrating the practical implementation of advanced technology in a remarkable rover vessel. The connectivity partner to Smart Bangladesh hopes that Interplanetar’s success will inspire and engage many more young minds in Bangladesh, encouraging them to explore the fascinating world of robotics and technology.

Grameenphone, part of the Telenor Group, is a leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh with 79.1 million subscribers. Since its inception in 1997, Grameenphone has built the largest cellular network in the country, covering over 99 per cent of the country’s population. With its brand promise to enable customers to “Go beyond,” Grameenphone seeks to help customers get the full benefit of mobile data and voice services and provide Internet For All.