About Center for Innovation (CFI)

● ‘Student Lab’ at IIT Madras.● Funded by batch of 1981 and set up in 2008 .● Lessons from failures of erstwhile Hobby club.● Adopting best practices from labs around the

world. ● 1 project each in 2006, 2007● 4 projects in 2008● 39 projects in 2015-16 + competition teams +

start up teams● Complete student run, student managed lab● Student mentors

Vision

To foster innovation and invention in understanding technology.

To promote informal learning across interdisciplinary fields.

To inculcate experiential learning.

Aim at technologies contributing to the environment and society

Walk in with an idea, walk out with a product

Support large student run projects cutting across disciplines.

A futuristic lab environment

Encourage Socially relevant projects

Culture of innovation● FUN !!!!● Freedom

• To pursue any idea• To dirty your hands• To fail and learn from it

● Highly informal peer learning environment● Infrastructure, finance, technical support● Inclusive Culture ● Teamwork● Joy of seeing our creations● Lifelong friendships

Mindset

“You’ve been lucky enough to inherit something really good. Take it, make it better and pass it on to your juniors, so that they can make it still better. That’s the best way to pay your seniors back for what they passed on to you.”

Amrutash Misra.

Where do Ideas come from?

● Student Proposed projects● Club projects● SAHAAY● ICT

Faculty inputs to ongoing projects

Structure of CFI

Clubs

NirmaanSahaay

CompetitionsICT

Clubs

3D Printing BiotechAeroAuto Analytics CVGElectronicsProgramming AstronomyWebopsiBot

Clubs3D Printing

Biotech

Aero

Auto

Analytics CVG

Electronics

Programming AstronomyWebops

iBot

Techno-Entertainment

● To develop technological products and provide technical solutions ● That assist specially-abled people in their daily lives.

● Development of technologies as solutions that greatly impact the society.

● Collaborations with NGOs

Collaborations so far:● Vidyasagar (formerly known as the Spastics Society of India) ,

Chennai – Cerebral Palsy● WE CAN India , Chennai – Autism● Pathway Foundation , Chennai – Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities

Sahaay

Sahaay - Projects

Block Printing DevicePaper Punching DeviceBill Generating Software Therasuit

Leap Sensor Games Electrolarynx

Assessment Applications for Autistic Children

People with innovative ideas, CFI project teams and students pursuing projects under professors can walk into Nirmaan and convert their projects into Nirmaan projects

Nirmaan provides access to multiple closed door networking opportunities (mentorship and others)

In addition, they get seed funding of 2L and office space at CFI

Progress of start ups is tracked regularly and those showing colossal growth get incubated and are out of Nirmaan

How it works

Nirmaan● Preincubation cell● Infrastructure-office space, funding and mentorship support to develop the idea

into a full fledged startup and guide them to incubation. ● Successful incubatees

● Putpeace.com ● Microlife Innovations ● Metaclone.

Start-ups from CFI

LEMA LABS

Robotics and Educational

HYPERVERGE

Computer Vision & Artificial Intelligence

ATHER ENERGY

Smart Automobiles

AIRWOOD AEROSTRUCTURES

Aero-robotics

MAKEYSTREET

Software Developer

PLANYS TECHNOLOGIES

Marine Robotics

ICT

It is a student initiated and managed consultancy group of CFI and one of its kind in IIT Madras.

VISION

Bridging the gap between CFI and industries

Enabling talent in CFI to solve key industry problems

Connecting projects to prospective scaling avenues

Industry Collaboration so far

● In Progress ● In Progress

Competition Teams

FSAE (Team RAFTAR)ROBOSUB (Team AMOGH) IGVC(Team Abhiyan)

URC (Team Anveshak) Hercules C-130 Payload Design Challenge

Inter IIT Tech meet

Team Structure

• Co-curricular Affairs Secretary• Student head• Finance• Project Management• Facilities• Media and Outreach• Design

• Club Heads

• Mentors

• Coordinators

• Sahaay

• ICT

• Nirmaan

Balance between Academics and CFI activity

● CFI is bustling with activity 9PM – 4AM● Summer and Winter vacation● Live in CFI● Workaround exams● Institute support to CFI projects

● DDP/BTP Projects● ID4100 course● Engineering in everyday life minor stream

Challenges

● High attrition rate● Documentation - Continuously Reinventing the wheel● Interruption in CFI activity during Quizzes and Exams● Dip in enthusiasm because of interruptions● Managing infrastructure and finances ● Funding

Interaction with other institute bodies● IITM Research Park● Incubation cell● International and Alumni Relations● Office of Alumni Affairs● Center for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship● Entrepreneurship cell

People

Thank you