A lab that allows IIT-B students to ‘tinker’ with technology and innovate

“One aim of such a lab is to empower students to take systems apart, examine the components and rebuild the original systems. Tinkering helps to break the psychological barrier when you are presented with a new system, and you are scared of damaging it by tinkering with it. Unfortunately, one carries this attitude while doing basic or applied research or even developing technology. We should increase our aptitude for risk-taking in research and in introducing new technologies. How can we become a knowledge economy if we don’t have the stomach for being the introducer of new advanced technologies? The tinkerers’ lab will help change this attitude among Indian students. The government policy system must also encourage such an attitude,” said R Chidambaram, principal scientific adviser to the Government of India.

Stating that while one talks about the lower competence of students in India as compared to western countries to take things apart and put them together, Chidambaram said the auto and other mechanics in India can fix complicated things, while their western counterparts will replace them with new. “What I am saying is that the tinkering spark is there in our young people and we must boost it through these facilities,” he said.

The first phase of the laboratory was inaugurated on January 4 and has taken up a project like ‘parinat’, which aims at making a “transforming humanoid capable of mimicking a user”. The lab will be completely managed by the institute’s Students’ Technical Activities Body (STAB). “This is the second phase of the lab. Students will have full control of facilities here — they will run the lab, train juniors and generate a culture of working with their hands and making things,” said professor Devang Khakhar, IIT Bombay director.

The lab will be equipped with machines like lathe, milling, welding, drilling, electronic test equipment, 3-D modelling software, small PCB manufacturing unit, and house a small store where some common parts will be available for students to borrow for projects. The 1975 batch will provide mentoring and run workshops.

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