Kumaraguru College of Technology student’s Trike 2 named National runner-up at James Dyson award

Trike 2π, an electric patrol vehicle developed by Shakeel Akthar S, an M.E. Industrial Automation and Robotics student at Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT), has been named a National Runner-Up at the James Dyson Award 2026 – India.
The project began as an undergraduate engineering idea under Ré-Centre for Exploratory Research at Kumaraguru and was further developed through REACT — Real World Engineering and Application through Collaborative Transformation. The vehicle underwent prototyping, field testing and successive refinements before moving into public-use environments.
Designed for security personnel operating across large pedestrian areas, Trike 2π features a compact three-wheel architecture with a 360-degree turning capability within a five-foot radius.
Its standing platform provides greater visibility for security personnel and enables quick mounting and dismounting.
The vehicle has since moved from the prototype stage into operational use. Coimbatore City Police are using Trike 2π units for patrolling, while 10 Trikes have been deployed at Chennai Central Railway Station for surveillance by Railway Protection Force personnel.
The development has also led to an entrepreneurial pathway through Elaicle Innovations Private Limited, an IIT Palakkad Technology iHub Foundation-supported startup.
The project has received support through IPTIF’s EiR, IMPACT and MEP initiatives.
Trike 2π has also received the IEI Research Excellence Award 2024 and support through the AICTE-MIC YUKTI Innovation Challenge, NewGen IEDC and IPTIF IMPACT 3.0.
The James Dyson Award recognition marks another milestone in the project’s development.
Trike 2π will now be considered for the global Top 20 shortlist.
What began as a student engineering project has progressed to applications in public-service environments, demonstrating the potential of engineering innovations developed through academic institutions to address real-world requirements.