IIT Jodhpur creates Unique Platform to pursue ‘Moonshot Projects’ on Innovative and Disruptive Ideas
A platform to improve health, societal, economic and environmental issues, the Institute aspires to stimulate Research initiatives to foster creativity and team-building paving the way to a sustainable future
JODHPUR:Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur has created unique platform to encourage its Faculty and Researchers to pursue innovative and disruptive ideas.
Called ‘Moonshot Competition, ‘the idea is to develop projects that can eventually lead to large-scale solutions to improve health, societal, economic and environmental issues. With such an initiative, the Institute aspires to stimulate new research initiatives to foster creativity and team-building alongside addressing urgent problems and paving the way to a sustainable future.
The ‘Moonshot Competition’ was organized for Faculty Members of the Institute. They had to present their ideas through a pre-recorded video pitch.
Highlighting on the unique aspects of this innovative platform, Prof, Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur, said, “The main objective of the competition is to encourage a moonshot culture and future-driven mindset in the institute, leading to transformational technologies and effective interventions for responding to societal challenges and aspirations.”
Some of the solution-oriented ideas selected under Moonshot Competition include:
Ø Prof. Debanjan Guha Roy shared an idea on Harvesting an Asteroid Microwave AssistedRock Pulverize and Electrostatic Separator which is related to Space, Microwave.
Ø Prof. Sumit Kalra shared through a video an idea on Personal Independent Digital Twin related to AI
Ø Prof. Sankalp Pratap, Prof. Romi, Prof. G. V. Reddy, Prof. Dibyadyuti Roy shared their creative idea on BRBL (To create countless ‘Birbals’ through technology intervention in Education) related to Education-AI
Ø Prof. Suchetana Chakraborty and Prof. Ankita Sharma submitted an idea on ‘ExPoPsych: Experiencing Positivity at the face of Psychological Vulnerability.’ which is related to AI and Psychology.
Dr. Debanjan Roy, Assistant Professor, IIT Jodhpur, said, “The international community has gradually started accepting the idea of deep space exploration, human settlement in space, and resource generation from celestial bodies. In the past few years, multiple governments and space agencies have invested in developing technology and formulating regulatory frameworks for this purpose. India is in a unique position to leverage its space expertise to pioneer resource exploration on the moon and asteroids. We need strong support from the industry and government to be a leader in this domain”.
Dr. Sankalp Pratap, Associate Professor, IIT Jodhpur, said, “BRBL aims to work on the stated ideals of NEP 2020, providing high quality nuanced inputs to children from all strata of society employing innovative technology”.
Dr. Sumit Kalra, Assistant Professor, IIT Jodhpur, said, “Personalized Independent Digital Twin is the next big revolution after the Internet and AI that has the potential to impact our society on each and every level. The intervention can result in highly optimized decision-making and execution of tasks.”
Some of the proposals have the potential to be initiated as a research project and subsequently, commercial viability will be accessed.
Through the Institute has Technology Innovation and Startup Center (TISC) commercial viability and subsequent incubation support can be provided. The institute has a strong eco-system to support faculty members to conduct research in interdisciplinary domains.