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The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati) to establish the Digital Twin Centre for Emerging Automotive Systems, a common engineering facility centre (CEFC) that follows a hub and spoke model. ARAI operates as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
The CEFC is being set up as part of MHI’s Capital Goods Scheme (Phase II) by ARAI and an industry partner. The centre will facilitate “SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0” to benefit the industry at large and MSMEs and start-ups, in particular. It will do this by creating digital twins for various systems in different industries.
According to a press release, small enterprises often face difficulties in accessing facilities for solutions development and have limited technology orientation. Therefore, the creation of the Digital Twin Centre for Emerging Automotive Systems will assist MSMEs and startups in experimenting, gaining experience, enhancing their skills, and finding solutions to meet their specific requirements.
The facilities at the centre are versatile and can be applied across various industries to support the development of technologies, conduct experiments, facilitate design and simulation processes, and perform validation tasks. The components of Digital Twin Systems include the digitisation of data and the environment, which aids in the efficient tuning of AI and ML models. It also involves digitising data for system development and training.
The outcomes of Digital Twin Systems include a reduction in the overall development time for systems and enabling the validation of systems to occur even before the prototype is ready. It also involves front-loading digitisation in the development cycle for different application areas and will offer Experience Centres for technology absorption, do-it-yourself initiatives, handling, and experimenting.
This will also support pilot manufacturing, including the production of a few market samples. The project aims to connect startups, MSMEs, and academia by leveraging the intellectual resources of IITs. The services offered include tooling support for design and simulation, demonstrations, awareness campaigns, training programmes, consultancy, and hands-on guidance for Indian startups and MSMEs in developing emerging technologies.
The facility is being established using a hub and spoke model, with Pune serving as the central hub, and Bengaluru and Guwahati as the spokes. Spoke 2 is being set up at IIT-Guwahati, focusing on catering to the industry’s requirements in the Northeast region, particularly in the realm of advanced digital twin systems for indigenous technology advancement. These facilities will provide support across various capital goods sectors, including engineering, automotive, drones, solar, and aerospace. IIT-Guwahati will provide the necessary space, infrastructure, and utilities required for the equipment. In return, they will gain access to these systems for their educational and research endeavours.
At IIT-Guwahati, a versatile Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) system will be installed to facilitate the creation of digital twins for system development, specifically for control systems and validation purposes. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools will be employed to digitise data, aiding in system development and training.
These newly established facilities are designed to serve diverse fields such as materials, electronics, AI/ML, control systems, and more. Their wide-ranging applications span various domains and industries. The systems are intended to foster synergies between the industry ecosystem, including MSMEs in the hub and startups in the spokes, and academia, particularly through IITs.
