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Innovative Methods, Projects and Community Technologies (IMPaCT) Lab   

“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect” – Steven Johnson

Keeping this precept in mind, the Department of Electronics has established the IMPaCT Lab where creativity, innovation and social mindedness can flourish. The Department of Electronics, which runs a BTech program in Electronics and Communication Engineering, a BTech program in Robotics and Automation, and an MTech program in Wireless Technologies, is the ideal environment where multidisciplinary technologies can flourish and innovations can be used to accelerate social good.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” Thomas Edison. The IMPaCT Lab provides a space for like-minded students, faculty, and staff members to gather to dream up, implement and test their ideas.

The IMPaCT Lab is much more than a physical space with state-of-the-art facilities. Rather it is a concept that can be carried out of the constraints of physical boundaries and get ingrained into the daily lives of those involved.

In addition to creating an impact on those directly involved, the IMPaCT Lab also strives to focus on methods, projects, products and services that are beneficial to society.

The Department has a two-pronged approach to the development of its stakeholders through its Skill Planning and AcquistioN Cell SPAN along with the IMPaCT Lab. These two ventures strive to hand in hand to develop technologies and services beneficial to our community.

Objectives

  1. To sustain a forum that nurtures creativity through regular discussions and brainstorming
  2. To provide physical space and facilities to bring ideas to implementation
  3. To facilitate fruitful innovation through mentoring
  4. To transform students, faculty, and staff members into socially minded people by focussing on innovations that create a beneficial impact on society.

Focus Areas

The focus areas of the IMPaCT Lab include innovations in embedded systems, IoT and other communication technologies and image processing and vision-based techniques to support agriculture, weather and disaster management, medical electronic devices, use of robotics and automation technologies to improve the quality of life of members of our society among others.

IMPaCT Lab report – EVEN SEMESTER (2024-2025)

Patent Granted

An Indian patentwas granted to students and faculty of the Department of Robotics and Automation. The patent was granted for the term of 20 years from the 26th of September 2023 in accordance with the provisions of the Patents Act,1970.

Title of the Invention: A System for a Solar-Powered Charging Station to Increase the Flight Distance Capabilities of Drones
Patent No. 553677, Application No.202341064618, Date of Grant: 30.10.2024

Patentees:Anfil Shajo, Dr.Georgina Binoy Joseph, Justin Joe, AlwinJojo, AmalPrakash and Asst. Prof. Hashfi K. H.  – Department of Robotics and Automation

UAVs such as drones can be used to deliver medicines and other essential materials between waypoints. If the distance between waypoints is very large, the drone has to be recharged at charging stations enroute to enable it to cover longer distances. The solar powered charging station is designed to be located by the drone at metre level accuracy.

Prize Winners of 2024 Project Expo hosted by IEEE MACE SB 

A team comprising Sivadath, Sai Krishna.Basil George, AlwinBabu Aaron Benny from S5 BTech ECE Electronics and Communication Engineering won the second prize for their project Smart City using IoT in hack ();2024 Project Expo hosted by IEEE MACE SB on Aug 30,2024. Their project focused on leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enhance urban infrastructure and improve city management. The project was an outcome of the Embedded IoT Project Based Learning PBL program conducted by the Skill Planning and Acquisition Cell SPAN of DoE, TIST.

Prize Winners at NASA International Space Apps Challenge

A team comprising of 6 students from S1 Electronics and Communication Engineering did us proud by getting selected as Global Nominees at the NASA International Space Apps Challenge. We wish MuhammedAkthus C N, SreehariNandhanan, Sreelakshmi P G, AlnaBinu, PoojaShaji, Arjun P B all the best for their future endeavours.

YIP 5.0 District Level Winners

A team of 5 students from S7 Robotics and Automation –  Abel Eugene D Silva, Adarsh K S, Levin Jeejan, John LukoseCochettu and JohnAgnelPinhero were declared as District Level Prize winners in YIP 5.0 organised by KDISC.

Student Projects – Achievements
International Project Collaboration

Congratulations to the final-year students AlikhaBalan, Grigari T Jose, Siddarth R and Jeevan Raju S7 Robotics and Automation on their impressive collaboration with Telekinesis at TU Darmstadt, Germany, for their project under the supervision of Dr.Georgina Binoy Joseph. This international collaboration is a remarkable achievement.

The CEO of Telekinesis, Germany highlighted the outstanding contributions of final-year Robotics and Automation students AlikhaBalan, Grigari T, JeevanRajuand Siddarth Rduring a meeting with the Consulate General of India. This innovative workis a part of an Indo-German collaboration initiative.

Student Project – Funding
  • The final year student project proposal, “Bot-Arm” from S7 B Tech Electronics and Communication Engineeringhas been shortlisted at the college level for submission for funding under the APJ KTU CERD Student Project funding scheme 2024-25. Student Investigators: Fiya Ann Mary, Gopika Gopakumar, Safhana K.M, Nazrin K.N, Principal Investigator: Asst.Prof. Anu Jose, Co-Investigator: Asst.Prof Renjith.P.K

  • The final year student project proposal, “ROS Enabled Agriculture Robot with ML and Custom User Interface” from S7 B Tech Robotics and Automation has been shortlisted at the college level for submission for funding under the APJ KTU CERD Student Project funding scheme for the 2024-25 year. Student Investigators: AlikhaBalan, Grigary T. Jose, JeevanRaju, Sidharth R. Principal Investigator: Georgina Binoy Joseph, Co-Investigator: Asst.Prof.Nezla N.A
Student Start-up at the International Robotics Round Table Conference

RizwanM.Shiras and Chackochan Benny of final year B Tech Robotics and Automation (2020-2024 Batch) represented their Start-Up named “Hyasta Innovations”at the firstever International Robotics Round Table Conference on August 23, 2024at the Lulu Grand Hyatt Bolgatty International Convention Centre.

Participation in various Robotic Competitions
  • Congratulations to S7 B Tech Robotics and Automation students Abel Eugene D’silva, John LukoseCochettu and Levin Jeejan on qualifying for the second level of the EDGE AI Innovation Challenge 2024 under the guidance of their mentorDr. Georgina Binoy Joseph.
  • Five Teams (Four teams of S7 Robotics and Automation and one team from S3 Robotics and Automation) has participated in the IEEE RAS Build your Bot challenge under the mentorship of Dr.Georgina Binoy Joseph. They successfully built a humanoid robot from the scratch in collaboration with students from GEC, Thrissur. They were ably mentored by Ms. Athira of TCS and IEEE RAS.
  • Selection at College Level for Smart India Hackathon 2024 (SIH 2024)
  1.                         Team DELTA: Mohammed Mishal, Avinash B, Athul Krishna K R, Salman K S, Ashmi A N, JuhanaNajeeb (S7 ECE), Faculty Mentors: Dr. Perumal Sankar S and Asst.ProfSajitha K.S
  2.         Team HACKATEERS: Nazrin K N, Fiya Ann Mary, Gopika Gopakumar, Safhana.K.M (S7 ECE), Faculty Mentors: Asst. Prof Anu Jose and Asst. Prof Renjith P K
  3.              Team AI ARCHITECT: Nithin P B, VaishnaviBalasubramanian, Aiswarya James, Maria Abraham (S7 ECE), Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deepa Elizabeth George
  4.             Team HACK n SAW: Basil George,Sivadath V.S,Saikrishna V (S5 ECE), Faculty Mentors: Dr.SreelekshmiS and Asst.Prof Dhanya.R
  5.             Team RADAR X: Noby, Leela Bobby, Ann Mary George, Cyrus BabuPhilp, John SavioRomy (S3 ECE), Faculty Mentors: Dr. Perumal Sankar S and Asst. Prof Annie Paul
  6.              Team UNIVEX: Basil T Abraham, Neeraj P Raju, Anandapadmanabhan H, Aswajith Raj A B, SunainaSanjeev, Ancy P Jacob (S3 Robotics and Automation), Faculty Mentors: Asst. Prof. SwathySatheesh, Asst. Prof. Dhanya R
  7.             Team ECOGLIDER: N S Parvathy,FathimaFidha P, Glenn George  K R,Levin Jeejan, MuhammedYazeen C Y, S Sidharth (S7 Robotics and Automation), Faculty Mentors: Asst. Prof Girish P, Asst. ProfAkhil Krishnan
Multi-institutional Collaboration
  • The Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering has partnered with ACARR CUSAT, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) Thiruvananthapuram and Environmental Resources Research Centre (ERRC) Thiruvananthapuram on a ground-breaking project entitled “Creating an Automated Warning System for Landslides in the Landslide Susceptible Zones of the Meenachil River Basin in Kerala.” The project is funded by New Space India Limited (NSIL) ISRO. Department ECE will be focussing on specific objectives including:Sensor development for determining soil moisture integrated with the Instrument derived data and providing an Early Warning Alert for Landslides
  • The Department of Robotics and Automation has collaborated with ACARR CUSAT, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in Thiruvananthapuram and the Environmental Resources Research Centre (ERRC) in Thiruvananthapuram on an innovative project titled “Creating an Automated Warning System for Landslides in the Landslide Susceptible Zones of the Meenachil River Basin in Kerala.” This initiative is funded by New Space India Limited (NSIL) under ISRO. The Department of Robotics and Automation will focus on several key objectives, including:Logging accelerometer data to create a local backup and upload it to a data server via WiFi or LoRaWAN, Evaluating the accelerometer data at various soil depths to determine its suitability, Data fusion with data from other sensors including GNSS.
Social Outreach Program
Student Participation in BalaSangam at District Level 
  • On September 28 and 29, 2024, students from Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, participated in the BalaSangam District Level Meet held atKoothathukulam, Ernakulam. First-year student Emil KurianEldhose, along with a team of senior students from the seventh semester—Fiya Mary, Nazrin KN, Safhana KM, and Gopika Gopakumar—showcased their innovative products. Students Sivadath S, Sai Krishna V, and Basil George from the fifth semester also presented their creative projects. Their participation not only highlighted their technical skills but also reflected the college’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration among students.
  • Students from the Department of Robotics and Automation also participated in the BalaSangam District Level Meet held atKoothathukulam, Ernakulam. Seventh Semester students—AlwinShibu, Levin Jeejan, John LukoseCochettu, John AgnelPinherio, and Abel Eugene D’Silva—showcased their innovative work – a Lunar Rover. The aim was to ignite confidence and curiosity in the young visitors to the meet.
Project Expo Conducted by IMPaCT Lab during NAAC Peer Team Visit

A Project Expo was conducted by IMPaCT Lab during NAAC Peer Team Visit on11, 12 September 2024 showcasing the innovative and technical skills of the students of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering and the Department of Robotics and Automation. Projects in areas such as Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), RF Antenna Design and Image Processing were showcased.

Proposal Submitted to the Department of Science and Technology (DST): “Urban Climate Research and Extreme Events”

The proposed project aims to develop an integrated dashboard and mobile application for “Climate Information Services for Urban Cochin,” designed to support risk-informed early action. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving Department of Robotics and Automation TIST, ACARR CUSAT, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), and NIT Calicut. Co-Principal Investigators for this project are Dr. Deepa Elizabeth George and Dr. Georgina Binoy Joseph, who will lead the team in addressing urban climate challenges and enhancing community resilience through effective information dissemination.

IMPaCT Lab Activities 2023-2024

IMPaCT Lab Activities 2022-2023

IMPaCT Lab Activities 2021-2022