The Department of Science of Technology (DST) has sanctioned ₹170 crores to Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to develop a technology innovation hub on Collaborative Robotics (Cobotics). The four verticals that will be covered under the initiative are medical robotics, agriculture and disaster management, defence, and smart manufacturing.
Robotics Hub
More than 50 faculty members at IIT Delhi and 50 odd faculties from other universities in India and abroad including Japan, South Korea, the US, UK and others, along with several companies, have already committed to the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) at IIT Delhi. Through the hub, robots should be able to work together with humans for maximising the benefit of human intelligence with robots’ precision and ability to work tirelessly in an environment where the humans cannot work.
The hub will not only perform research in the area of Collaborative Robotics but also proactively translate the outcomes into products. The institute has already initiated two robotic applications with support from industries to fulfil requirements of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi and Post Graduate Institute (PGI) Chandigarh with respect covid-19. Besides, it is hiring specialized faculty for IHFC. The IHFC will work as a section 8 company with its own chief executive officer and governed by a board of directors.
The 21st century has been an age of unprecedented advancement in sensing, computing, algorithm research and development. These advances have indirectly ushered a growth in robotics research and its adaptation in the real world. More robots are being used right now in the world than ever and with the Covid-19 crisis acting as a catalyst, this trend is only going to grow.
