Sona College team wins MECA Global Finals 2026 in Tokyo
A student team from Sona College of Technology in Salem just took first place at the MECA Global Finals 2026 in Tokyo.
Their project? An AI-powered tool that turns plain English instructions into factory programming code, making automation way simpler and cutting down on mistakes.
They beat out strong teams from South Korea and Japan to claim the top spot.
AI translates instructions and simulates setups
Programming factory machines is usually tricky and full of errors, but this team's tool uses AI to translate instructions and test them virtually before any real-world setup, saving both time and money.
Nearly 300 Indian colleges competed nationally (with Pune colleges taking second and third), while teams from the Philippines and Thailand were runners-up globally.
The contest, run by Mitsubishi Electric, is all about giving young engineers a global stage to show off their skills.