Chennai, Sept 23:
IIT Madras has inaugurated a ₹3.30-crore robotics laboratory dedicated to research, innovation and industry applications in robotics and automation for the construction and infrastructure sectors.
The laboratory has been established with CSR support from Bechtel India Private Limited as part of a collaboration aimed at developing technology solutions for challenges faced by the construction industry and strengthening the connection between academic research and industry requirements.
The partnership will focus on research and development in construction robotics, automation and advanced construction technologies. It will provide opportunities for real-world project exploration, testing and technology demonstrations, drawing on Bechtel’s expertise in engineering, procurement and construction.
Prof Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said industry-academia partnerships play an important role in advancing research and innovation, particularly in specialised fields such as robotics and construction automation.
He said the collaboration with Bechtel would enable IIT Madras to work on industry-relevant challenges while providing opportunities to test and demonstrate technologies and take promising solutions closer to actual deployment.
Bechtel India Managing Director Raja Yeluri said the partnership would provide IIT Madras students, faculty members and industry engineers with a common platform to transform real-world construction challenges into automated solutions.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to the development of skilled professionals for the construction sector, with students getting exposure to technologies that could reshape construction processes in the coming years.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Prof Ashwin Mahalingam, IIT Madras faculty members Prof T Asokan and Prof Koshy Varghese, who will lead the laboratory, along with Raja Yeluri and Ravi Tata, Robotics Manager at Bechtel India.
The collaboration will cover joint research, consulting and technology development. Projects undertaken through the partnership could result in research publications, patents, prototypes and technology demonstrations for industry.
Bechtel will also provide industry inputs for curriculum development and facilitate mentorship by its professionals. Internship opportunities for selected students will also be explored as part of the collaboration.
The initiative is planned as a long-term partnership extending over the next five to 10 years. It will provide students, including master’s candidates, with hands-on exposure to emerging robotics technologies and their applications in construction and advanced engineering.
The new laboratory is expected to serve as a bridge between research and field-level applications, allowing technologies developed in an academic environment to be tested against practical construction requirements before being taken closer to commercial deployment.