Our never-ending quest for comfort, economy, speed and security has brought in tremendous amount changes in our lives in last two hundred years. Right from the way we manufacture goods to the way we sell them, the way we commute to the way we communicate, and the way we cook food to the way we grow it has substantially changed in this period. And Mechanical Engineers have been at the forefront of this change.
Industrial Revolution IR 1.0 powered machines with steam engines.
IR 2.0 - electricity enabled mass production of steel, automobiles, airplanes, and railways.
IR 3.0 - electronics, automation and computers enabled easier, better and faster production by controlling the means of production through computers.
Today we are going through IR 4.0, which is enabling interconnection of physical systems through internet. It is connecting machines and systems inside the factory to those outside. If one of the machines breaks down in one location, the rest of the ecosystem automatically detects it, and takes the corrective actions without interrupting the pace of production. For example, if a factory in Pune is overloaded with production, the factory in Chennai will automatically absorb the slack by starting production from there. The factories & systems can be accessed from remote locations for giving commands, and carrying out necessary repairs, including by equipment manufacturers. Tracking of individual systems has become possible using intelligently controlled drones for data acquisition & repairs. In short, 4.0 has introduced intelligent networking of machines and process with the help of information and communication technology, seamlessly connecting the things in physical world with those in the digital world.
The key features of IR 4.0 are –
. Advanced Robotics,
. Additive Manufacturing,
. Artificial Intelligence,
Machine Learning, Electric Vehicles, Intelligent Drones, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Augmented & Virtual Reality to name a few. All these technologies have been embedded in the vehicles we drive and the appliances we use. These technologies are also used in production of almost anything, right from cars to appliances, foods and beverages to clothes and couches, cement and fertilizers to farming and fishing.
Since, at the end of the day we all need actual travel and actual food, actual cement and actual fertilizers, we need factories to produce them. And who can run them better and produce these things at lowest cost – they are none other than Mechanical Engineers. Since the government of India launched the ‘Make In India’ initiative, most of the global manufacturers have been encouraged to open their factories in India by giving tax breaks and subsidies. Since then, most of the global manufacturers have opened their factories in India, opening lucrative job opportunities for Mechanical Engineers.
To cater to the advancements in the technology sector, MIT Art, Design & Technology University has reengineered its B. Tech. Mechanical Engineering syllabus to bring it in line with the needs of IR 4.0 by including subjects like Advanced Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Electric Vehicles, Intelligent Drones, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Augmented & Virtual Reality. We are sure, Mechanical Engineering students at this university will be able to exploit abundant job opportunities coming up in these high technology spaces and drive the manufacturing story of India.
