Programs
- Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering -
- B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science (Medical Engineering) - Undergraduate
Robotics is multi-disciplinary in nature and requires students that learn from and interact closely with other students from allied branches of study. The Amrita Robotics Lab has been initiated to provide Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham students a center to develop and implement robotic technology. This goal-oriented research center will enable students from multiple disciplines to learn, create, and apply knowledge in a variety of advanced topics such as machine vision and image processing, Digital Signal Processing and speech recognition, advanced algorithms, digital architecture development, communication networks, Mechatronics and electronic controls, and Artificial Intelligence.
The labs have been the genesis for many successful student projects, providing the space and tools that students need to work on these complex projects.
An important aspect of the Amrita Robotics Lab is its ability to harness India’s renowned natural skills, talents, and resources in computer science, programming, and internet technology. This makes the Amrita Robotics Lab an ideal training place for students seeking to add practical experience to their theoretical studies. The multi-disciplinary nature of robotics work will draw students from Computer Science, Internet Technology, Electronics, Electrical, and Communications Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and others. The integration of these fields will require disciplined and coordinated team skills; further training Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham students for valuable leadership and teamwork positions in industry. A new logo for the club was framed with the icon “LEARN, INNOVATE AND EXCEL”.
Chakshyaan (derived from a Sanskrit word which means the “vehicle-with-eyes”) is the name of an ambitious undertaking by third year mechanical and electronics engineering students. These students are creating a remote-control flying vehicle with video capability. Funded by their institution, they are constructing on a hover craft which will have the ability to take videos at a given location and transmit data back to a base station. Incidentally, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s first ever project as a scientist was to build a hover craft, and it was the first time Indian scientists had succeeded on such as endeavor without any help from the western scientific community.
Other student groups are working on hybrid rickshaw projects. Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws that can run on diesel, electricity or solar power are being designed and tested, and one of these projects has even received funding from a group in the US.
Initially in June 2006, a team of students built a robot whose movements could easily be monitored and controlled using a computer. Soon after this, in response to overwhelming interest from the student community. Concurrently, Josh Freeman, who completed his master’s degree in electrical engineering (University of Oklahoma, US) with several years of work experience in General Motors, has joined Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. He was inspired by Amma’s vision to build a world-class research and teaching institution in India and was assigned to take charge of the lab. From its inception, Josh and his students have painstakingly built the lab, equipping it with state-of-the-art supplies that are needed to complete various projects.
In this lab students are introduced to various types of machines and their characteristics through practical experience. All types of DC Machines, single phase and three phase squirrel cage and slip ring induction motors, single-phase and three phase transformers, suitable starters and loading arrangements for machines, Kirloskar made DC motor- 3 ph Alternator set and measuring instruments of all types needed for laboratory experiments are available.
Each machine is provided with a work bench having well designed movable connecting panels made from thick hylum sheet (with attractive printing on it). Other major equipment includes general-purpose rotating electrical machines & test benches, a variety of single phase & 3 phase transformers, synchronous / DC machine sets and variable-frequency inverters.
In this lab students can perform experiments related to digital electronics (arithmetic and sequential circuits, shift registers, counter etc.) using digital trainer kits.
The lab also provides various measurement kits such as Wheatstone bridge and Kelvin bridge for measurement of unknown resistance, Schering bridge for measurement of unknown capacitance and Anderson bridge for measurement of unknown inductance. Certain other experiments on LVDT and Synchro are available as well.
Students do experiments on Torque Measurement Kit, Dead Weight Pressure Gauge, Level Control Unit and Temperature Measurement Kit. The Lab also contains PC based experiments like Speed Control of Stepper Motor, Speed Control of DC motor and Flow Loop Control.
This lab equips students with knowledge on various transducers and their applications, and PC based control applications (PID method). Plans are in the making to expand the lab by adding programmable logic controllers and simulation software like LABVIEW.
The Department recently set up a Power System & Simulation Laboratory having 30 computers. The latest advanced power system simulation software including PSCAD, ETAP and MiPower have been installed. These will help students to simulate power systems and carry out load flow analysis, short circuit study, relay coordination and harmonic analysis. The latest versions of ORCAD and MATLAB software packages are also provided for proficient computing, simulation and analysis.
The lab also has an electrical panel with relay fitted for experiments, which includes Three Phase IDMT Over Current Relay, Definite Time Over Current-under Voltage Relays, Motor Protection Relay, Transformer Differential Relay, Master Trip Relay, Conventional Test Kit and Numerical Test Kit.
The Power Electronics & Electrical Drives Lab includes hardware experiments conducted for EEE students in order to explore knowledge on the following topics: Study of characteristics of SCR, MOSFET and IGBT, triggering circuits, rectifiers, controlled rectifiers using SCRs and uncontrolled rectifiers using diodes and semi-converter circuits, choppers, dc-dc converters, inverters and dc-ac converters using MOSFETs and PWM techniques.
Software experiments are conducted using Microsim OrCAD PSPICE with the latest Version 16 installed in the computer lab for Power Systems.
The workshop provides basic practical knowledge about Electrical and Electronics on:
In addition to regular experiments, students take on mini-projects as a part of their workshop practice. During this process, students gain confidence in executing electrical and electronic projects irrespective of their branch of engineering. At the end of the semester, a project exhibition is presented, and this, in turn, motivates students to create more complex projects and to attempt competition in future project exhibitions.