NEWS
RMIT collaboration in cloud support to strengthen links with India
RMIT is strengthening its relationship with India by awarding internships to postgraduate students from an Indian institution to develop cloud support applications.
RMIT’s Australia-India Research Centre for Automation Software Engineering (AICAUSE) awarded internships to two fourth-year integrated Masters of Technology (iMTech) students from International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) to develop next-generation applications in cloud support for industrial automation engineering and personal safety monitoring.
The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) has university status as a postgraduate university and is funded jointly by the Government of Karnataka (India) and the IT Industry.
The Institute contributes to the IT world by focusing on education and research, entrepreneurship and innovation.
In 2012, RMIT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute to establish closer links between the two institutions through collaborations in research and education in fields such as computer science, software engineering and automation software platforms.
This has culminated in an internship opportunity within the RMIT Virtual Experiences Laboratory (VXLab) for two students, Abhijay Vuyyuru and Vikram Singh.
Professor Heinz Schmidt, Director, AICAUSE said that there is considerable interest at IIIT-B and RMIT to foster postgraduate student and researcher exchange and contribute to multicultural and multidisciplinary student experiences between the two institutions.
“RMIT and IIIT-B both have links with the ABB Research Centre in Bangalore; RMIT through AICAUSE and IIIT-B through student placement and its adjunct professor appointment framework,” Schmidt.
“These links are designed to support industry-engaged research through innovation in software, education and global collaboration projects.
“It was pleasing to note that both students were involved in projects that encourage innovation in cloud support applications designed for a global purpose.
“For example, Abhijay developed the ‘telerobotic cloud’, a cloud-based robot vision and coordination system enabling a remote user in directing a robot to locate, pick up and move objects, using hand gestures.
“In addition, Vikram developed a mobile app for personal safety monitoring with awareness of unsafe areas. The app calls for help if the user has not used their device for a certain period in an unsafe area.
Abhijay’s system was prototyped and deployed in the VXLab’s Advanced Manufacturing Robotic Interoperation Test Lab on robots supplied by AICAUSE partner ABB.
Abhijay said that he was excited by the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies and side-by-side with other innovative student and research projects in the VXLab.
“I’m attracted to new challenges and the possibilities of developing a new generation of applications that impact on industry,” he said.
“Also, I’m pleased that our work in VXLab might lead to the capability to access VXLab robots remotely from our university back in Bangalore, which would be a real-world benefit for future joint capstone and research projects at IIIT-B with RMIT.”