What Should be IIT K’s Research Vision?What Should be IIT K’s Research Vision?-A Difficult Question with Simple Answer or Vice Versa

Amitabha GhoshAmitabha GhoshINSA Senior Scientist and Distinguished ProfessorAerospace and Applied Mechanics Departmentp pp p

Bengal Engineering & Science University ShibpurP.O. Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103

Simplifying the question –Simplifying the question“ What Should be IITK’s Research Vision?”

It needs a little expansion to clear the objectivebehind the question as follows:behind the question as follows:

“What Should be IITK’s Research Vision soW at S ou d be s esea c V s o sothat the Institute Continues to Remain as theMost Attractive and Reputed Destination foros c ve d epu ed es o oBright Students and Faculty in India and ItBecomes a Leading Academic Institution in thegWorld?”

Let us analyze the past 50 years’ historyLet us analyze the past 50 years’ historyof IIT Kanpur.

We all know that among the IITs IITKhas been the place with best academichas been the place with best academic reputation.

But what feature (s) made this possible? Theacademic freedom ?The structural flexibility?academic freedom ?The structural flexibility?Carrier growth opportunities? Decentralizedinformal administration?informal administration?

Perhaps all these played some part in helpingthe brightest students and faculty membersmaking a bee line to IITK in spite of so many locational disadvantages.

All the above mentioned points are importantno doubt, but those are reviled only when onejoins this place! Not before.

But I feel that the primary reason why IITKbecame the best was something else as presentednext.

It is now accepted that during the periodf 1960 t 2000 th ld i dfrom 1960s to 2000 the world experienceda very major event, known as the ‘SecondI d t i l R l ti ’ th t h t f dIndustrial Revolution’ that has transformedour society in many ways.

The principal players in this were ‘Micro-l t i ’ d ‘C t E i i ’electronics’ and ‘Computer Engineering’.

IIT K i th i tit ti th t l dIIT Kanpur is the institution that playedthe centre stage role in these two areas

ithi I diwithin India.

Of course, it does not mean that only theydepartments of Electrical Engineering andComputer Science were involved.

Computer application and microelectronics were relevant (and important) for modernR & D in almost all areas of science andtechnology.

New areas like CFD, Robotics/Mechatronics,CAD-CAM all had a major boost from thepioneering research work at IIT Kanpur

I b li h IIT K iI believe that IIT Kanpur was so attractive a place to all primarily because the Institute

d d i i Mi l i dstarted academics in Microelectronics andComputer Science in India in a big way andIIT K l d h l iIIT Kanpur played the centre stage role inbringing the 2nd Industrial Revolution to India.

S d I d t i lSecond IndustrialRevolution

First IndustrialFirst Industrial Revolution

Is it possible to ensure a repeatperformance?

A di t t i ti t d iAccording to most scientists and engineersa major phenomenon, termed as the ‘ThirdI d t i l R l ti ’ i k ki tIndustrial Revolution’, is knocking at ourdoor.

Can IIT Kanpur again take necessary stepsth t it i l t t l iso that it again plays a centre stage role in

bringing this revolution to India?

Let us examine the matter and that can yieldth l ki fthe answer we are looking for.

As computer science was the foundationon which the ‘Second Industrial Revolution’depended upon what will be the fundamentalprinciple for the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’?

If IIT Kanpur can take a preemptive move toorient its activities that will be closely relatedto the impending revolution we can hope tomaintain our track record for being the best.

There are enough indications that the slowlyemerging trend of close interaction among the various branches of physical, engineeringand life sciences will ultimately lay down thefoundation for the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’.

The Third IR will be based upon the principlesof Artificial Intelligence and Bio-inspired Synthetic Biology based Advanced Engineering .

In the Second Industrial Revolution theprimary engineering activity was 2 ½ Dminiaturization.

In the Third Industrial Revolution theprimary engineering activity will be 3Dminiaturization

Material manipulation for the engineering involved in theengineering involved in the Third Industrial Revolutioncan be represented in thecan be represented in the

next two slides

nce

Leve

lnc

e Le

vel

Intelligent Microrobots/Intelligent Microrobots/AutonomousAutonomous

Inte

llige

nIn

telli

gen Intelligent Microrobots/ Intelligent Microrobots/

Manipulating Blood CellsManipulating Blood CellsAutonomous Autonomous

Humanoid RobotsHumanoid Robots

mat

ion

&

mat

ion

&

Mars Land RoverMars Land Rover

e of

Aut

ome

of A

utom Mars Land RoverMars Land Rover

Deg

ree

Deg

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Molecular MotorMolecular MotorMicro Machine ToolMicro Machine ToolCNC Machining CentreCNC Machining Centre

1/Size1/Size

Molecular MotorMolecular MotorMicro Machine ToolMicro Machine ToolCNC Machining CentreCNC Machining Centre

As a consequence, ‘Fabrionics’, i.e.q , ,shape, pattern and characteristicgeneration by material manipulationg y pat the micro, nano and molecular levels, will be the key element fory3D miniaturization in an economicway.y

Thus we realize that in Second Industrial Revolution the manipulation was mainlyRevolution the manipulation was mainly for 2 1/2D miniaturization.

But the Third Industrial Revolution willrevolve around 3 D miniaturization.revolve around 3 D miniaturization.

The key requirement will be manufacturingThe key requirement will be manufacturingeconomically miniaturized 3 D machinesand devices.and devices.

Biomimetic self assembly can be,y ,perhaps, the only way to achievepracticable 3 D miniaturization.p

Components that interact irreversibly give rise to Components that interact irreversibly give rise to disordered productsdisordered productsdisordered productsdisordered products

Components that can adjust positions once in contact Components that can adjust positions once in contact can form ordered objects if the ordered form is thecan form ordered objects if the ordered form is thecan form ordered objects if the ordered form is the can form ordered objects if the ordered form is the lowest energy configurationlowest energy configuration

Self Assembly – Molecular Level

Pattern Generation by Self Assembly

HPBHPB

Pattern Generation by Self AssemblyPattern Generation by Self Assembly

HPB

It is a well known fact that faculty memberswill feel encouraged if the advanced courseswill feel encouraged if the advanced coursesthey teach are also helpful for the kind ofactivities mentioned above For example suchactivities mentioned above. For example suchcourses could be on• Molecular engineering and scaling laws• Molecular engineering and scaling laws• Fabrionics and self assembly based manufacturing• Bio inspired engineering and synthetic biology p g g y gy

based systems and devices• Intelligent macromolecules and smart materials• New energy sources like ATP type biochemicalenergy • Self learning and self correction• Self learning and self correction• Self replication

One of the very important matter that hast b dd d f th d i t tto be addressed for the academics to createthe foundations of the 3rd IR is merger of the

i i i d lif iscience, engineering and life science areas.

I thi t IIT K i h d fIn this aspect IIT Kanpur is way ahead of other institutes of higher learning in India.F th i ti th I tit t ’ d iFrom the very inception the Institute’s academicactivities have not recognized the usually foundb d i b t i d i iboundaries between science and engineering.

Thi k IITK th t it d l fThis makes IITK as the most suited place forinitiating the next Industrial Revolution.

Following the nature of evolutiongthrough which the traditional engineering curricula have developedengineering curricula have developeda dependable guess may be possible.

Very little difference will exist betweenthe science and engineering in thefuture except some aspects of theirbasic goals.

SCIENCE ENGINEERING

??

The basic feature is ‘analysis’ using the

bilit t b

The basic feature ischaracterized by ‘synthesis’

i h bilicapability to observeand understand

using the capability tomanipulate

Mechanics Thermodynamics

Civil Engineeringg gMilitary / Mechanical Engineering

Electricity & Magnetism

Materials Technology

Mechanical Electrical

Modern PhysicsQuantum Mechanics

M thMechanicalEngineering

ElectricalEngineering

Math

Chemistry

ElectronicsLif S i Chemical EngineeringMechanical

EngineeringAerospaceEngineering

ElectricalEngineering

Electronics

Biotechnology

Life Science

ComputerEngineering

Extending the presently observedtrends the evolved science andtrends the evolved science and engineering curricula in the nearf t b d h tfuture can be guessed as shown next.

Traditional EngineeringSubjectsj

M th tiPhysics

Mathematicsand Computationfor Extensivefor ExtensiveSimulation & Modelingg

LifeScience

Chemistry

Science and Engineering Curricula of the New Era

The major activities in scientificand engineering disciplines canand engineering disciplines canbe diagrammatically representedas in the next slideas in the next slide.

Futuristic Systems and Devices

Miniaturization MassiveparallelismS

M pMARTT

MA

Embedded Bi h i l

Bottom up

TER

BiochemicalEnergy Source

And ControlElectronics

FabricationAnd Self AssemblyBased Mass

f i

IALS Electronics ManufacturimgS

Wh ill thi i l tiWhen will this manipulativecapability be achieved??

It is a million dollar question;b t it i t d th tbut it is expected that oncethe bottom up techniques

h t d t t 3 Dreach a matured state, 3 Dminiaturization in an economic

ill b iblmanner will be possible

The important foundational areasb h ti ll t dcan be schematically represented

as shown in the next slide

Life ScienceLife Science

MathMath&

Comp ScPhysics Chemistry

Electromagnetism

Material Science

ThermodynamicsMechanics

Synthesis, Simulation & Modeling, Design

Scaling Laws

Fabrionics

IIT K d t i t i tIIT Kanpur needs to innovate an appropriateacademic system that will regroup the faculty

d t d t t d iand students so as to produce maximumimpact in the areas of science and technology

ti d bmentioned above.

Thi ill th t th I tit t iThis will ensure that the Institute remains asthe best destination for research and studiesi th t F th if th I tit tin the country. Furthermore if the Institutecan make some early breakthroughs it can b f th b t i th ldbecome one of the best in the world.

Th k YThank You