As a group of academia, industries, start-ups, and Government bodies, this consortium is being coordinated by IIT Madras.

Their research collaboration would be undertaken with industrial sponsors and participants from industry, academia, and Government, say sources from IIT Madras.

The consortium will promote best practices, dialogue with all stakeholders, government policymakers, and research institutions.

It aims to become a resource for industry, academia, consumers, and policymakers interested in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, say sources from IIT Madras.

Highlighting the key role that IIT Madras would play in this consortium, CAVE Coordinator Professor M. Manivannan, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, said a strong research group such as IIT Madras is needed for innovations in XR and haptics.

As an academia initiated consortium, innovation is given priority, much more resource is available for every member, and together can reach a wider audience and achieve grandeur missions, said Professor Manivannan from IIT Madras.

Further, elaborating on how CAVE would benefit India, Professor Manivannan said in this era of ‘Make in India,’ an India-specific consortium for XR and haptics is important to make big impacts.

Ø Develop Indigenous VR/AR/MR and haptics hardware and software

Ø Setup ‘VR Superhighway’ or ‘VR Corridor’ where many start-ups and industries work together for a bigger mission to make India the choice for future XR and haptics needs.

Ø Promote VR Skill Training – Offer VR courses along with Industrial partners to bridge the gap between the global XR and haptic needs

Ø Promote Technology Enabled Skill Training using XR and haptic technologies such as medical skills training, vocational skills training, or education.

Dr. Neeraj Mittal said that such a consortium was very much needed for a country like India for democratizing the experience.

This CoE on VR and Haptics is India’s First Research and Product Innovation centre for XR and haptics Technology, transdisciplinary centre encompassing several fields of engineering, medicine, psychology and arts.
The center is also known as Experiential Technology Innovation Center (XTIC.org).

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The CoE was inaugurated by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission (ATL), NITI Aayog.

He said that the CoE can be an anchor for bringing various efforts in VR/AR into this centre for solving India’s mission.

He particularly emphasized how the centre can help in skilling the youths of India, specifically children who are the future workforce, towards better literacy, in local languages.

As XR is highly interdisciplinary, innovations in this field need a confluence of minds from different fields.

Haptics is the future of VR systems, and all interactions in future VR will be engineered with our understanding of Haptics, say sources from IIT Madras.

The Inaugural Webinar was moderated by Professor Steven M. LaValle who is the early founder of Oculus (acquired by facebook) and a Professor of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu, Finland.

Other panelists include Professor Mandayam Srinivasan, founder of MIT Touchlab in Boston, U.S., and Professor of Haptics at University College of London, Dr. Venkat Sadanand, an engineer-turned-economist-turned-neurosurgeon.
The panel discussed the challenges in perception studies and how the centre can make an impact on global research.

This collaboration agreement seeks to capitalize on the strengths of both institutions, broadening the learning experience for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) programs at IIT Madras and undergraduate programs at IIT Palakkad.

To date, over 30,000 students are actively participating in this program, fostering a vibrant and interactive learning community, say sources from IIT Palakkad.

Director of IIT Madras

Welcoming this collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said IIT Madras is committed to reach quality education to every deserving student in our country. This initiative with IIT Palakkad is a very significant step towards reaching the goals.

We are enthusiastic about mentoring these bright minds. Our courses and internships have a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and innovation, said director of IIT Palakkad.

This collaboration with IIT Madras will build a robust foundation that equips students with the skills, insights, and networks they need to excel, he said.

Key features

The key features of this collaboration include:

Ø Credit Transfer from IITPkd Courses: IIT Madras BS (Data Science and Applications) students who meet the eligibility criteria can fulfil their credit requirements by taking courses at IIT Palakkad, promoting an exchange of academic resources and expertise.

Ø Access to IIT Madras Courses for IIT Palakkad Students: The MoU allows undergraduate students at IIT Palakkad to enrol in courses on Data Science and Programming from the IIT Madras BS program, ensuring equitable access to these cutting-edge skills.

Ø Support for Additional Initiatives: The collaboration will also facilitate student exchange programs, internship opportunities, and other joint initiatives.

Commitment

This collaboration between IIT Madras and IITPkd highlights the commitment of both institutions to enrich student experiences through cross-disciplinary exposure, practical learning, and research opportunities.

It aims to create a robust academic ecosystem that utilizes the expertise and infrastructure of both IITs.

Collaboration

IIT Madras has been collaborating with other leading institutions in the country to provide in-person learning opportunities for final-year students in the BS program.

IIT Gandhinagar, IIIT Hyderabad, and Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) have already made their campus courses available to eligible students from the IIT Madras BS (Data Science) degree program.

About IIT Palakkad

Established in 2015, the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is dedicated to creating an environment that enables students and faculty to engage in the pursuit of knowledge, to dream, think, and innovate thereby becoming change agents for a better world.

Having begun with just 120 students in July 2015, IIT Palakkad has since grown into an establishment that is about a thousand students strong and with the best manpower in key positions.

IITPkd aims to become a multi-disciplinary institution with 5000 students by its 10th year. The Institute recognizes collective growth, in collaboration with industry and other academic institutions, as the need of the time and emphasizes blue-sky research and directed research as two essential pillars of technology development.

The Institute embraces a vision to be a leader in cross-disciplinary inquiries, and to contribute to the potential that India’s demographic dividend represents for the country and the world, which is embodied in the motto of the institute “Nurturing minds for a better world”.

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