This International Research Experience for Students (IRES) award entitled U.S.-India Research Program to Promote Improved Quality of Life thru Innovative Applications of Engineering Technologies provides fifteen Auburn University students a unique opportunity to conduct mechanical engineering research at the premier Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) and the Center for the Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC)- Mohali, India. US PI Chetan Sankar,AU is an expert in tele-communications technologies and will work jointly with J.S. Bhatia, Director of CDAC-Mohali, a national R&D laboratory and pioneer of telemedicine in India. US coPI P.K. Raju, AU will partner with Professors A. Ramachandraiah and K. Balasubramanian of IITM, all of whom are Directors of either the acoustics or non-destructive testing labs at their respective universities. For each of the three award years, five graduate and undergraduate students will avail themselves of the combined strengths of these academic/research institutions for a comprehensive international research experience.
The unifying research theme for this IRES project is the application of three engineering technologies to improve the quality of life. By using 1)thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort measurement technologies, student teams will design more comfortable and energy efficient living spaces, thereby improving the quality of living, 2) using non-destructive testing technologies, students will develop products to help evaluate the structural integrity of roads and bridges, thereby improving the quality of highway infrastructure, and 3) using wireless technologies, student teams will develop new products that will make possible the delivery of high quality healthcare through telemedicine applications, thereby improving the quality of health.
The intellectual merit of this project is that Auburn University students will have an intensive research and collaborative experience with teams of students and researchers in India. The AU students will work with experienced researchers and industry experts to help them document their research in papers and case studies that will be published in journals and presented at conferences. As for broader impacts, the students will develop personal contacts, new international networks, and deeper insights on global R&D issues, all of which could have a lasting impact on their continued interest in international collaborative research. It is also expected that solutions developed by student teams will eventually be integrated into products, processes and models that will directly benefit society. Case studies developed in this project will be integrated into the AU curriculum and will broaden the impact of the international experience to include students that did not have the opportunity to directly participate in IRES.
By 2050, 8 billion of the 9 billion people on Earth will live in developing countries, and economic growth in these countries is likely to be the same, if not higher than the economic growth expected in the developed world. Future U.S. engineers need to know how to communicate effectively, think globally, be environmentally conscious, and appreciate the impact of social/cultural dynamics on a team environment in order to remain competitive in this kind of economic climate. Thus, engineering education needs to be drastically altered to give students opportunities to work in international research teams. The major goal of this project was therefore the application of engineering technologies in the U.S. and India to help improve the quality of human life using thermal comfort and acoustic treatment technologies. Twenty-one graduate/undergraduate students were recruited over the course of the three academic years 2010-2013 to participate in this project. During the summer semester of each year, the students participating in the project that year undertook a six-week trip to India. Students worked in teams to solve specific problems faced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and/or the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) research laboratories. The students learned the following: (1) The application of engineering subjects in real-world settings. The students learned about real-world uses of different engineering/ business concepts. Through this international research experience, the students enhanced their understanding of the technologies they had previously only encountered in the classroom and discovered how they can be used to improve the quality of life for citizens in India and in the U.S. a. Improve Thermal Comfort: A major initiative by L&T is to make their new apartment homes more comfortable thermally using new materials and glazing treatments tailored to the specific climates in different parts of India. Two students built a tool that recommends appropriate glazing products based on aesthetics, finances, and energy conservation criteria; two compared the effect of different apartment layouts on thermal comfort in Chennai, India, and Alabama; and four developed an internal portal that provides climate information about different parts of India to architects. b. Develop Non-destructive Testing Capabilities: Having the ability to test structures for leaks and cracks without first emptying them (such as in an oil tank) is important for companies. Two students worked on a project to develop an automated inspection trolley to identify defects in railroad rails, while another developed a program to use lasers more effectively. c. Apply Acoustic Principles for Natural Reinforcement: Companies in India aim to provide good acoustics in auditoriums using natural reinforcements that do not require maintenance, investment, or electricity. Two students developed a program that evaluates multiple designs for potential use in an auditorium. d. Develop Business Plans for Engineering Startups: A startup company located in IIT Madras’ research park was in danger of failing because the owners and their employees are all engineers and they had not paid sufficient attention to business issues. Three students analyzed the situation, developed a business plan, and implemented an accounting system. Thereby, they applied the skills they had learned in classrooms in solving practical problems. e. Stress Cross-cultural Communication: IRES students were delighted with their experiences and research projects, but communication was often a major problem. Two students thus developed scripts for use in a game to help other students learn the intricacies of cross-cultural communication. (2) Develop web-based case studies based on a template: The students learned how to use a case study template and developed case studies documenting their experiences in India. A student survey revealed that they learned a lot about cross-cultural communication, especially how critical this skill is. As companies collaborate globally, it is important that our students acquire such skills while still at school. The IRES project emphasizes and encourages students and faculty members to collaborate on research projects in India, thereby benefiting the society in both countries. An external evaluator commented that the students who participated in this project gained valuable experience that will help them function well in cross-cultural settings in the future. The project motivated students to learn how companies use innovative research in the design of products and systems in a multi-national setting. In addition, they developed seven case studies based on their research that are now available to other students at www.liteecases.com. The project has also helped L&T develop information systems targeted at their architects and engineers so that they can compute thermal comfort and life cycle cost information when designing buildings. The project on developing non-destructive testing machinery for railway tracks and improving laser test performance added new knowledge to the principal discipline. The project on improving acoustics using natural reinforcements is an innovation that has the potential to improve the construction of auditoriums worldwide. Both Auburn University and IIT Madras have increased their international collaborations and ascribe this in part to the success of the IRES program.
