Graduate / My interest in engineering dates back to my childhood; SOP [4]

Its a genralised letter submitted to IR office at my university to attach with my application, please comment your views

I am XXX and as a student of first year M.Tech in Mechatronics at VIT University I look to apply for a project in specialized mechatronics fields like Robotics, Factory Automation, Machine Vision and MEMS. I take this opportunity to describe my educational background and career objectives that motivate me to pursue a research career in mechatronics engineering.

My interest in engineering dates back to my childhood. I was fond of reading visual dictionary and watching TV shows like 'Extreme Machines' or 'Mega Factories '. After school I joined Government Polytechnic, Ahmednagar for Diploma in Electronics and Communication engineering.

I continued my education by pursuing graduation in Electronics and Communication engineering at D.Y.Patil College of Engineering, Pune. My attraction towards mechatronics and robotics field was amplified every time I visited or participated in various workshops, automation exhibitions and more importantly competitions like 'Robocon'. It reflects in my projects like 'Image processing based PCB drilling machine', in which I designed and developed a 3-axis Cartesian manipulator controlled by Matlab program for processing image of a PCB. Working on this project I learnt many things, also by reading various journals I got a touch of insight of the vast field of mechatronics.

In order to pursue my passion for robotics, I joined M.Tech in Mechatronics at VIT University, so that I could increase the horizon of my technical imagination. Mechatronics being a blend of Mechanical, Electronics, Computing and Control Systems, will help me get perfect prerequisite needed for my goals. While studying my course subjects and working on research projects, I worked on Fanuc M6ib robot, programmed PLCs for fluid power systems, furthermore as part of project group designed and developed a fully automatic and effective dual axis solar tracking system which will improve power output of solar panels by up to 40% per day per year, I am also working on AGV monitoring and control using LabView.

I feel that extra-curricular activities are as important as studies in estimating a person's overall capacity. During my college days I was actively involved in different social organizations like Rotract club organizing various projects like half marathon, college festivals, social projects etc. I was also co-chairperson for a multi-district event and won prestigious 'Rotary Youth Leadership Award' from RYLA chairman in 2008.

These experiences in actuality simulated the real life conditions faced in the professional world and thereby has enriched my leadership qualities and organizational skills. I feel very privileged to be a part of such a wide array of activities outside of the academic domain. I consider discipline, handling group dynamics, and innovative thinking as the main positives from these activities. I feel that I am more confident to face the sterner professional tests in the future due to my experiences from these opportunities presented to me.

I believe studying abroad, for any period of time, is a highly rewarding experience. Learning new concepts in different dimensions and expanding area of expertise are value additions to one's profile. I believe in pursuing a course with clear future goals. By getting a chance to do my final project at your reputed institute would be a correct step towards achieving my goal and with facilities available at your institute, proper guidance and opportunity for research; I think I can contribute in field of mechatronics.