The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), in association with AMARA and Yukti Cell, organized the event titled “AI and Innovation Sprint 2026: Rapid Prototyping for Engineering Solutions” on 25 February 2026 at 1:00 PM in the Department Seminar Hall (M503), Srinivas Institute of Technology, Mangaluru. The session was conducted by Prof. Vivek Vijay Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Engineering, SIT, Mangaluru, who served as the resource person for the program.

The program commenced with a formal inaugural session, and the proceedings were efficiently coordinated by Ms. Hruthika, a 4th Semester student of Aeronautical Engineering, who served as the Master of Ceremony. The event was graced by the presence of Dr. Sandesh Kumar Rai, Head of the Department, Automobile Engineering, and Dr. Praveen Shenoy, Head of the Department, Aeronautical Engineering, whose presence encouraged student participation and reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary learning and innovation-driven academic culture.

During the session, the resource person explained the concept of rapid prototyping and highlighted the importance of transforming innovative ideas into functional engineering solutions. He guided students on identifying real-world engineering problems, analyzing existing solutions, conducting gap analysis, and designing effective digital prototypes. He also emphasized the role of Artificial Intelligence tools in accelerating idea development, improving efficiency, and assisting engineers in building practical and scalable systems. The session provided clarity on selecting appropriate technology stacks, planning system architecture, and developing executable prototypes rather than limiting innovation to theoretical models or presentations.

As part of the hands-on activity, a problem statement related to engineering applications was given to the students. After detailed explanation and guidance, students were divided into groups of three members each. Each group carefully analyzed the given problem, discussed possible solution approaches, and conceptualized their prototype design. The students actively engaged in brainstorming, planning, and developing their prototypes using suitable tools and methodologies within the allocated time. They focused on converting their ideas into workable models and demonstrated their understanding of structured innovation development.

The activity encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and practical implementation skills among the participants. Students gained exposure to systematic problem-solving techniques and understood how AI can be effectively integrated into engineering solutions. The event successfully created awareness about innovation-driven engineering practices and motivated students to develop functional prototypes that address real-world challenges. The program was coordinated by Prof. Prakash T and Dr. Niranjan Prabhu, Dept. IIC Coordinators, along with Prof. Jagadeesh B, Dept. Yukti coordinator, Prof. Vivek Vijay Kumar ,Yukti Coordinator. The event was successfully conducted with the guidance of Dr. Sandesh Kumar Rai (HOD – AU), Dr. Praveen Shenoy (HOD – AE), and under the leadership of Dr. Shrinivasa Mayya D, Principal, SIT.