Druk Gyalpo’s Institute

Event Duration: 10 June 2025 – 13 October 2025

Finals Venue: The Royal Academy, Bhutan

Participants: 24 Bhutan Baccalaureate (BB) Schools from across Bhutan

Eligibility: Students from Grades 7 to 12

Team Composition: 3–4 students per team (unlimited teams per school)

Event Vision

TechTrek 2025 is not just a competition, it is about collaboration, learning, and

creating an environment in the school where students consider bringing meaningful

change in their school or community using technology, innovation, digital fabrication

and an aesthetic mindset.

Event Theme:

Lost in time: Innovation with modern technology

History is filled with brilliant inventions that were ahead of their time but could not

be fully realised due to the technology and materials available back then. Your

challenge in TechTrek 2025 is to research one of these “unfinished” inventions and

bring it to life using today’s technology. You will use tools like 3D printing, robotics,

AI, and electronics to recreate a lost invention, while demonstrating how it could be

applied in the world today.

What You’ll Do:

1. Select a Historical Invention:

Choose an invention from history that was either never completed, failed to

function, or was lost over time. Your goal is to bring it back to life using

modern technology.

2. Research the Invention:

● Dive deep into the history of your selected invention.

● What was its purpose?

● Why couldn’t it succeed at the time?

● What were the technological limitations back then?

● This will give you a solid foundation to modernize the design.

3. Modernise the Design:

Use today’s technologies and tools to improve or complete the invention.

This could involve:

● 3D Printing to create parts or prototypes.

● Arduino or Raspberry Pi, for adding electronics, sensors and

automation.

● Software and AI for simulation, automation, or control.

4. Build Your Prototype:

Develop a working model, either physical or digital, that demonstrates how

your modernized version of the invention would function today. This could

be a fully functioning device, a simulation, or a prototype ready for testing.

5. Documentation:

Clearly document the entire design process:

● What was the original invention?

○ Provide a brief introduction to the historical invention you are

working on. What was it designed to do? Who created it, and

when? What made it important or ahead of its time?

● Science and mechanism behind it?

○ Explain how the original invention was supposed to work. What

were the scientific principles or mechanisms behind it? What

ideas or technology did the inventor rely on?

○ Highlight any limitations that prevented it from being fully

realised in its time.

● What challenges did the original inventors face?

○ Discuss the specific obstacles the inventor encountered. Were

there material or technological limitations? Why couldn’t the

invention succeed during that era?

● How did you use modern technology to bring this concept to life?

○ Describe how you adapted the original invention using modern

tools and technologies like 3D printing, AI, robotics, and

electronics. What new components or technologies did you

integrate, and how did they solve the historical challenges?

● How could this invention be applied in today’s world?

○ Explore how your modernized invention could be applied in

today’s world. How could it address current challenges or

improve our daily lives?

6. Present & Demonstrate

Present your project in the final showcase. You will need to explain your

design decisions, the impact of the invention, and demonstrate how your

prototype works.

10 June 2025

TechTrek Design Concept Release

14 June 2025

Team Registration Deadline: All participating schools must submit their team entries.

16 June 2025

Online Meeting: Overview of events, judging criteria, and tools (Fusion 360, Wokwi, TinkerCAD).

4 August 2025

Training Sessions: Hands-on workshops on Fusion 360, TinkerCAD, Wokwi, etc., led by Fab Academy students and Tech Domain Teachers.

15 August 2025

Phase 1 Submission Deadline: Submit your designs, codes, and concept documentation.

18 August 2025

Judging Phase 1: Each school selects up to 2 top teams for external evaluation.

21 August 2025

Judging Phase 2: Top 10 teams selected by invited judges.

22 August 2025

Prototyping Phase: Selected teams begin prototyping with support from FabLabs or TRA Aesthetics Center.

8 September 2025

Online Support Session: Check-in with teams to review progress.

8 – 12 October 2025

Final Build Week @ TRA: Selected teams finalize designs, mentored by Fab Academy Students.

13 October 2025

Final Showcase & Judging: Each team presents their final prototype.

Out of the three teams that participated in the TechTrek 2025 program, one team has been selected for the next round. The selected team, led by Subash Tamang of Class XI Science, presented on Leonardo da Vinci's Self-Propelled Cart, demonstrating creativity and a strong understanding of the historical and technical aspects of the invention. The other two teams also performed admirably, showcasing innovative ideas that connect classical concepts to modern technology. All participants displayed enthusiasm, teamwork, and critical thinking, making the competition a truly enriching experience and inspiring everyone to explore and develop practical solutions for the challenges of the modern era.