Image credit: IIT Roorkee
New Delhi:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee will set up a technology hub under the National Mission of Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The hub — iHub– will be one of the 25 hubs being set up in the country with financial support from the Department of Science and Technology. The hub seeks to serve as a one-stop solution for 356 fundamental technologies. The hub, as per a statement, will focus on projects in device technology and materials across health research; defence research and development; electronics and information technology; housing and urban affairs; new and renewable energy; and telecommunications and atomic energy.
Under the iHub, IIT Roorkee statement said, the institute proposes to develop several products related to CPS in collaboration with various national and international academic and industrial partners.
“The iHub will accelerate adoption of Cyber-Physical Systems and related technologies. It is in line with our commitment towards a technology-driven research ecosystem. The project will augment the efforts of the government to upskill workforce in line with Industry 4.0,” said Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee.
Professor Sudeb Dasgupta, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, IIT Roorkee, in the statement said: “Cyber-Physical System comprises an advanced suite of technologies that will address the challenges of Industry 4.0 and foster an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem. This initiative will offer us an opportunity to shape futuristic India”.
The IIT Roorkee statement mentions that the hub will be mandated to deliver products, publications, intellectual properties, technology transfers along with aiding the growth of start-ups.
“This will also generate numerous direct and indirect jobs. It will also explore potential collaborations and industry partnerships at both national as well as international level with institutions such as Washington University, Tokyo Institute of Japan, Colorado State University, School of Engineering, Malaysia, Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh and many more, to achieve its objective,” the IIT Roorkee statement added.
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) is a new group of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment. Its technology areas include cybernetics, mechatronics, design and embedded systems, internet of things (IoT), big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The Department of Science and Technology has established NM-ICPS to accelerate the deployment of CPS technologies in India.