It’s time to overdose on Robots
Robotic fanatics rejoice! Amrita University, Kerala is all set to organise an international conference on Robotics and Automation for Humanitarian Applications (RAHA). The three-day conference, from December 18-20, will be held at the Amrita University’s Amritapuri campus in Kerala. Professor Rao Bhavani, co-chair for RAHA 2016 and the Director of Ammachi Labs talks to us about the event that is a hot attraction for engineering students. Excerpts from a charged conversation that deals with robotics, solutions for a better humankind and harnessing the power of technology:
Why is RAHA exciting for Indian students?
RAHA 2016 is the first of its kind in India. For many problems in the world today, advancement in technology offers several solutions, but we cannot throw technology at people or complex social situations and expect it to fix the problem. So, here we are trying to apply solutions to real world problems through robotics.
How many students will be participating?
Over 385 participants will be attending the event. 270 students are attending from 22 institutions in India, including Indian Institute of Technology, National Institute of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, VNIT, Nagpur and PSG College of Technology. There will also be 28 international students and researchers from different corners of the world.
What are the major attractions?
We are bringing thought leaders from around the world to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, industry professionals, humanitarian workers, and development experts to share knowledge about technological tools, methodologies, and applied robotic and automation solutions.
What according to you is the future of robotics in India?
India is projected to become the second largest manufacturing country in the next five years, and the Indian industry is working toward cutting-edge automation technologies to be globally competitive. With this as a backdrop, there is an urgent need to train students with multifaceted skills involved in robotics engineering. We also need a curriculum that focuses on manufacturing and industrial applications. Robotics can be applied to many domains including disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts etc.
Is there any other attraction about RAHA that’s a stand-out?
RAHA will feature a humanitarian robot competition. 35 teams have submitted entries for the national and international category from which 24 finalists have been selected to compete during RAHA.
The conference will be held from December 18-20 at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (University), Amritapuri. For more details and registration visit www.raha2016.org