February 18, 2011
School of Engineering, Amritapuri
Amrita’s flagship research project, SAVE (Sakshat Amrita Vocational Education) is making news all around the world.
Recently the international magazine, WIRED, published a feature on this initiative in its Italian edition.
The feature article summarized the impact of the project.
“It’s the e-learning project sponsored by the Indian government to train builders, plumbers, carpenters and electricians using devices that integrate multimedia functionality and perceptional interfaces.”
“Training for these most handy jobs can benefit from digital techniques too.”
A most apt description for the haptics-based training modules that are being built to impart vocational education to potentially millions of young men and women all over India.
Perhaps not only in India, but in the future, in other parts of the world also.
The article noted the collaboration between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the State University of Milan to create tactile interfaces that are able to recognize the applied pressure and interact with a digital model observed by an apprentice on a screen.
To execute this project, Amrita is collaborating with some of the best universities in the world.
The article noted the benefits of this technology.
“Such technology, imported from advanced robotics and telesurgery, is now being used to teach young Indians from rural areas how to properly use drills, saws and other tools.”
“And with very good results too: learning time is chopped in half and precision levels are much higher than average.”
“Other advantages include economizing the hardware and a solution to the chronic lack of teachers.”
This is not the first time that this project has caught the attention of the international world. Last year, when the President of Warner Brothers Pictures, Jeff Robinov, visited the SAVE lab at the Amritapuri campus, he was so impressed that he immediately offered supplemental funding for the unique initiative.
“We are proud of what we have achieved for our efforts to offer vocational training to the needy,” stated Ms. Bhavani Bijlani, the project coordinator. “This encourages us to concentrate more on our work.”
By concentrating more on their work, members of the SAVE team will continue to facilitate vocational training for members of the least-served populations in India. They will offer them the opportunity to acquire skills that will make them employable, changing their circumstances for the better.
