In the latest example of British universities collaborating with Indian institutions, the University of Ulster and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, have begun working on developing intelligent robotic devices to help severely disabled people become independent. Experts from both institutions have teamed up to build the world's first robotic arm, which responds to brainwaves and can be mounted on the wheelchair. The three-year, 154,000 pounds ($300,000) project is jointly funded by India and Britain under the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).
Elsewhere, the Newcastle University Business School has announced an alliance with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) to further strengthen its international ties and allow student and staff exchange, research and the development of new courses. While the quality of Indian research in some fields such as IT, mathematics and management is universally respected, Indian students are valued by British universities for their familiarity with the English language, higher academic performance and ability to pay high fees applicable for international students.
Explaining the University of Ulster-IIT research project, Girijesh Prasad, project leader and senior lecturer at Ulster's School of Computing and Intelligent Systems, said: "Thousands of people suffering from neuro-muscular disabilities such as motor neuron disease (MND) and spinal cord injury (SCI), may be completely paralysed.
The project is expected to speed improvements in the lives of people with movement disability due to old age, disease or injury. The main project objectives are to investigate a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows a disabled person to control a smart wheelchair and robotic manipulator combination by thinking, a visual tracking system for operating the wheelchair as an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to provide mobility, and the development of a robotic arm for the natural execution of actions desired by the disabled user.
This project involves the recruitment of three new postgraduate research students to assist in the joint programme of research. It also includes intensive research exchanges between the two institutions by Ulster and IIT Kanpur researchers and senior research students.
Martin McGinnity, director of the Intelligent Systems Research Centre, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in gaining this award. There is intense competition for UKIERI research funds and our success is thus all the more pleasing.
Announcing the Newcastle University-IIFT collaboration, Newcastle chancellor Lord Chris Patten said: "We want to see more Indians in Newcastle and more of our researchers in India. As a world-class university with a highly regarded business school, we feel it is very important to attract world-class minds. (IANS)
Source:- India Education News