Malappuram student wins international acclaim

Malappuram: M.K. Vimal Govind is a young inventor who has made a robot that can be used in defence and heavy industrial sectors, for which  he has won  international recognition from the prestigious American Society of Research (ASR).    

A mechanical engineering student from MES Engineering College,  Kuttippuram,   Vimal represented India in  the 7th  international conference on Mechatronics and Manufacturing (ICMM 2016) conducted by ASR in Singapore  where he    presented his  invention in the field of exoskeleton robotic technology.    His paper was  selected as the best of the 13 from different countries which were presented at the conference.

An exoskeleton  is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton (endoskeleton) of, for example, a human.

A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armour, exoframe, or exosuit, is a mobile machine consisting primarily of an outer framework worn by  a person, and powered by a system of motors, hydraulics or pneumatics that delivers at least part of the energy for limb movement.

The robot Vimal and his associates made is a human- controlled exoskeleton with powered machines that is used to boost human ability, especially in defence and heavy industry. “The robot  can reduce huge human requirements in military operations since the powered exoskeleton robot can do the job of many humans in dangerous situations,” said  Vimal.

These  semi-robotic machines can also be used for  heavy industrial requirements as well. A prototype of the exoskeleton robot’s development is in the final stage, he added.

“My invention is a cost-effective extension of researches in this field in the US,” he said. Vimal’s paper will be published in  the International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research.