Inauguration of One-week Robotic Skill Training Workshop organised by Department of Mechatronics, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal

Inauguration of One-week Robotic Skill Training Workshop organised by Department of Mechatronics, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal

Manipal, March 7, 2024 – A one-week Skill Training Workshop on “Elemental Robotic Programming with Service and Maintenance (RPSM 2024)” was organized by the Department of Mechatronics, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, in collaboration with JANYU Tech Pvt. Ltd., Pune, from March 4th to 9th, 2024. The workshop was inaugurated in the MAHE-JANYU Robotic Center of Excellence (COE) at MIT Campus on March 4, 2024. A total of 24 participants attended this workshop, which included UG, PG students, faculty, and lab assistants from different colleges.

Dr. D. V. Kamath, Professor & Head, Dept. of Mechatronics, MIT, Manipal welcomed the gathering and said that this is the first skill development workshop conducted at this center under “Training of Trainers (ToT) model and dept. has plans to conduct different skill-based workshops in the coming days.

The workshop was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Cdr. (Dr.) Anil Rana, Director, MIT, by lighting the lamp. In his inaugural address, he highlighted the need to develop robotics skills continuously and fulfill the needs of the time. He also discussed the emerging areas of robotics, control, automation, and artificial intelligence and urged the institutions to come up with a roadmap to meet future expectations for the economic growth of India.

The Guest of Honor of the workshop, Dr. Sentthil Vinayakam, Centre In-Charge, MAHE-Janyu COE, presided over the inaugural session and motivated the participants through his inspirational        talk. He extolled the relationship between MAHE and Janyu Pvt. Ltd. He also deliberated about how to strengthen the bond and do more projects under this CoE.

True to the workshop’s intention, it commenced with an introduction to robotics, covering definitions, types, and applications. Participants gained insight into the diverse fields where robotics plays a crucial role, including manufacturing, healthcare, and exploration. A dedicated lecture on service and maintenance emphasizing the importance of regular upkeep of the robots was also done, helping the participants understand preventive maintenance strategies and troubleshooting techniques. The workshop transitioned into industrial robotics, where participants were introduced to basic control principles. Topics included trajectory planning, kinematics, and programming languages commonly used in industrial settings. Participants could apply their knowledge by engaging in hands-on exercises with industrial robots, guided by instructors. Following this, more hands-on learning and knowledge on Throwbots (Military Surveillance Bot) and VARAHA (Underwater Robot) are being conducted and scheduled to conclude with certificates for the participants on March 9, 2024.