Machines, Mechanism and Robotics

This book offers a collection of original peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 3^rd International and 18^th National Conference on Machines and Mechanisms (iNaCoMM), organized by Division of Remote Handling & Robotics, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India, from December 13^th to 15^th, 2017 (iNaCoMM 2017).

It reports on various theoretical and practical features of machines, mechanisms and robotics; the contributions include carefully selected, novel ideas on and approaches to design, analysis, prototype development, assessment and surveys. Applications in machine and mechanism engineering, serial and parallel manipulators, power reactor engineering, autonomous vehicles, engineering in medicine, image-based data analytics, compliant mechanisms, and safety mechanisms are covered. Further papers provide in-depth analyses of data preparation, isolation and brain segmentation for focused visualization and robot-based neurosurgery, new approaches to parallel mechanism-based Master-Slave manipulators, solutions to forward kinematic problems, and surveys and optimizations based on historical and contemporary compliant mechanism-based design. The spectrum of contributions on theory and practice reveals central trends and newer branches of research in connection with these topics.

Dr. D. N. Badodkar, postgraduate in Electrical Engg., joined BARC Training School in the year 1980. After successful completion of the one year orientation training in Nuclear Science and Technology, he joined the Reactor Control Division, BARC, Mumbai in 1981 as Scientific Officer-C. Subsequently, he obtained his Ph.D. degree from Mumbai University. Presently, he is Distinguished Scientist, Director, Reactor Design and Development Group and Head, Division of Remote Handling and Robotics. He is also a senior professor in engineering sciences at Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) and is the chairperson of various doctoral committees at HBNI and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology. His expertise includes special purpose electrical drives, electromagnetic actuators, reactor control mechanisms and application specific automation systems. He is the recipient of DAE’s Technical Excellence Award-2000 and Group Achievement Award-2008, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

 
Dr. T A Dwarakanath graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University of Mysore.  He pursued Masters Degree and continued to obtain his PhD degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1994. He joined BARC in 1993 as Scientific Officer-D.  He was awarded the BOYSCAST young scientist fellowship award by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) in the year 1997.  He was a visiting research scholar at the University of Florida, USA from 1998-1999.  He associated with Prof. Joseph Duffy and Prof. Carl Crane on the design of compliant platforms.  Presently, he is a Scientific Officer-H in BARC and holds a faculty position in the Homi Bhabha National Institute.  His interest and expertise is in the design and development of applications for Parallel Mechanism based systems.