Prof. Subir Kumar Saha, a 1983 Mechanical Engineering graduate from RE College (Now NIT), Durgapur, India, completed his M. Tech from IIT Kharagpur, India, and Ph. D from McGill University, Canada. Upon completion of his Ph. D, he joined Toshiba Corporation’s R&D Center in Japan. After 4-years of work experience in Japan, he has been with IIT Delhi since 1996.

He is actively engaged in teaching, research, and technology transfer. He completed sponsored projects and consultancies worth about Rs. 14 crores (~ USD 2.0 millions). Prof. Saha was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2020 in Academic and Research by NIT Durgapur. He established the Mechatronics Laboratory at IIT Delhi in 2001, and contributed significantly in the development of the Programme for Autonomous Robotics during 2010-16 with the funding from BARC/BRNS, Mumbai. As a recognition of his international contributions, Prof. Saha was awarded the Humboldt Fellowship in 1999 by the AvH Foundation, Germany. He was Naren Gupta Chair Professor at IIT Delhi during 2010-20, and presently acting as the Project Director of IHFC (a non-profit company of IIT Delhi in the area of Cobotics). He has been also visiting faculty at IIT Madras, and short-term researcher at McGill University, Canada, Monash University, Australia, and University of Verona, Italy.

Prof. Saha published a text book in 2008 on “Introduction to Robotics” published by McGraw-Hill in India and Singapore. It was also translated in Mexican Spanish. To aid the learning of robotics, RoboAnalyzer software was developed in 2009 under his supervision. He also co-authored several specialized books published by Springer, e.g., 1) “Dynamics of Tree-type Robotics Systems” supported with ReDySim (Recursive Dynamics Simulator) software; and 2) “Dynamics and Balancing of Multibody Systems.” He has more than 200 research publications in reputed journals/conference proceedings, and delivered more than 240 invited/keynote lectures in India and abroad.

Prof. Saha’s two special interests are: 1) “Connecting Engineering Minds with the Society”, which he pursues through a lecture series called MuDRA, i.e., Multibody Dynamics for Rural Applications (delivered 70 times since 2007); and 2) Making engineering education industry-relevant, which he propagates through another lecture series “Robotics2Rural---Innovative Teaching and Research Approaches” (delivered 85 times since 2012). He has a fiction book in his credit “RoCK-BEE” published by www.pothi.com. The book was translated in Bengali. 

Prof. Saha occupied several administrative positions at IIT Delhi. He was the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering during 2015-18, Associate Dean of Students during 2009-12, Vice-Chairman of GATE/JAM/GMAT examinations during 2008-09, President of BRCA during 2010-11, and others. Presently, he is the Coordinator of the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) at IIT Delhi, a programme sponsored by the Office of the Principle Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India. Prof. Saha is the Vice-President (Academic) of The Robotics Society (formally known as Robotics Society of India), and National judge of the DD-Robocom competitions in India since 2005. During 2008-15, he was the Vice President of the Association of Machines and Mechanisms (An IFToMM body in India). His philanthropic interest spans over last two decades. Prof. Saha introduced awards/prizes in his school (Vidyasagar Vidyapeath in Midnapore, West Bengal), R.E. College (now NIT) Durgapur, DD-Robocon competitions, and Robotics club at IIT Delhi.

CV of Prof. S.K. Saha

Administrative Responsibilities

At IIT Delhi

• Project Director, I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (Section-8 company of IIT Delhi): Mar.’20 – till date

• Head, ME Dept. (~3 yrs): July 2015-Aug. 2018
• Associate Dean of Students (~3yrs): Sept. 01, 2009 – June 30, 2012
• Guide, Robocon team (10 yrs): 2003-2012
• Chairman, I2Tech (Open House): Apr. 24’10
• President, Board for Recreational and Creative Activities (BRCA): Sept.’09-Mar.’10
• Vice-Chairman, GATE-2009 &JAM-2009 Examinations: Aug.’08-July’09
• Chairman, B. Tech Evaluation Committee: July’08-May’09
• Convenor, Dept. Research Committee: Sept.’05-Dec’06
• President, Photography and Hobby Society, BRCA: Aug.’04-Dec.’06
• Chairman, Tryst 2005 (Technical Festival)
• Lab-in-charge, Mechatronics Lab. (~7 yrs): 2001-2006, 2009–11
• M. Tech Coordinator (Design) (3 yrs): Sept.’97-May’99; Sept.’00-May’02

Outside

• Vice-President (Academic), The Robotics Society (Erstwhile RSI) (~2 yrs+): July 2017–
• Treasurer, Robotics Society of India (RSI), India (6 yrs): 2011–17
• Vice-President, Association of Machines and Mechanisms (AMM), India (6 yrs): 2008–13

Professional Achievements

Book/Course booklets/Proceedings Editor [9]

• “Dynamics of Rigid-Flexible Robots and Multibody Systems”, 2021, Springer (Authors: Paramanand, N, Ashish Mohan, S.K. Saha)
• "Rural Technology Development and Delivery," 2019, Springer (Eds.: Subir Kumar Saha, M.R. Ravi)
• "Dynamics of Tree-type Robotics Systems," 2013, Springer, The Netherlands, Feb. (Authors: S.V. Shah, S.K. Saha, J.K. Dutt)
• “Active Device Development for Automobiles” (A Reference Book), 2011, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany (Authors: S. Sehgal, S.K. Saha, I.N. Kar)
• "Robotics Competition Knowledge Based Education in Engineering"(RoCK-BEE), 2010 (Released during Robocon 2010 by DD-Mumbai and MAE-Pune), Mar. (Authors: M. Chauhan, S.K. Saha)
• "Dynamics and Balancing of Multibody Systems," 2009, Springer, Germany, Jan. (Author: H. Chaudhary, S.K. Saha)
• "Introduction to Robotics," 2014, 2^nd Edition (Spanish Edition in Mexico: 2010), McGraw-Hill, May (Author: S.K. Saha)
• "Robotics," 2008, Three course booklets for IGNOU, New Delhi, Mar. (Author: S.K. Saha)
• "Proceeding of the 11th Nat. Conf. On Machines and Mechanisms" (Editor: S.K. Saha), 2003, Dec. 18-19.

Technical Paper Publications [221]

• Journal 57 (International: 51; National: 6)
• Conference Proceedings 164 (International: 108; National: 56)

Patent [4]: Granted: 2; Submitted: 2

• "Device for Error-free Steering," Granted: 2020; Inventors: Mr. Ali Rahmani Hanzaki and Dr. P.V.M. Rao, S.K. Saha, IIT Delhi
• "A Protective Device for a Cylinder Lock", Granted:  ~2008; with Mr. V. Puri & Mr. H.S. Arora from Minda-Huf Pvt. Ltd., and Dr. I.N. Kar, IIT Delhi
• "Trenchless Steerable Drilling Machine" Submitted in India, Sept.'03; with Dr. P.V.M. Rao, IIT Delhi
• "A New Kinematic Analysis for Free-Flying Space Robots." Submitted in Japan, 1994

Design Registration [4]: Granted for the following four items used for Carpet weaving (May’02, India)

• Curved knife; 2. Beater; 3. Metal Comb; and 4. Scrapper (All with Prof. R. Prasad, IIT Delhi) 

Software Developed [6]

IIT Delhi

• MechAnalyzer'13 (Mechanism Analyses)
  
  • ReDySim’12 (Recursive Dynamics Simulator)
  • RoboAnalyzer’10 (Robot Kinematics and Dynamics) [Formerly RIDIM’99 (Robot Control) & RFDSIM’99 (Robot simulation)]
  • VRL’98,’08 (Virtual Robotics Laboratory)

Toshiba Corp.

• SpaceDyn’95 (Space robot dynamics)

McGill University

• OMNI’91 (AGV simulation) 

Sponsored Research (24; ₹13.63 crores)

• On-going (3, Principle Investigator 3): ₹4.3 crores
• Completed (21, Principle Investigator: 14): ₹8.88 crores

Consultancy/Industrial Research (9; ₹ 0.45 crores)

• Completed (8, Principle Investigator: 5): Rs. 0.45 crores

New Initiatives

• IIT Delhi

• WeLD (79^th +): We Learn through Discussion. Monthly presentations by the students/Project staff of SK Saha since 2011.
  
  • Guidance of ROBOCON Teams (2003-2015)
  • Establishments of new research area MuDRA (Multibody Dynamics for Rural Applications) (2003)
  • Mechatronics Lab. (2001); and SAE Club for students (1997)

• TOP: Team-based Online Projects with NIT Jamshedpur and Patna (May-Jun’20); Comtel, Kolkata (Oct.’20)
• ROC: RoboAnalzyer-based Online Competitions, with Tezpur Univ., Assam (Oct.’20)
• IIT Madras—Introduction of RoC-BEE (Robotic Competition Based Education in Engineering) and inauguration of lecture series “Robotics[AT]?” (Mar. 2007)

Honours

• Distinguished Alumnus Award 2020, NIT Durgapur: Jan. 2021

• Associate Editor, Sadhana, Journal of IAS, Bengaluru, 2013-18
• Technical Editor of IEEE/ASME Transactions on of Mechatronics (3 yrs.): 2010 –2013
• National Award for the Guided Students: DD-MIT-Robocon 2007 Competition, Pune in Mar. (Represented India in Hanoi, Vietnam in Aug.’07)
• Guided Best Student Project Award: B. Tech [8] (2001: 2; 2004; 2006; 2009; 2010; 2011: 2); M. Tech Project [2]  (2005, 2010)
• Members of National Level Bodies [4]:
  
  • Robocon India Committee (2003-), Doordarshan-Robocon competitions
  • Academic Advisory Committee (2007-08), Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram
  • Programme Advisory and Monitoring Committee (2007-09): Programme on “Technology interventions for Elderly, Dept. of Sc. & Tech., New Delhi
  • Research Advisory Committee (2003-04), National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Ahmedabad
  • Steering Committee (2003-05), TePP, Dept. of Sc. & Tech., Technology Bhavan, New Delhi
• Guest Editor (Dec. 2004): IFToMM International Journal of Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 12.
• International Judge for the 7th ABU-Robocon 2008, Aug. 31’08: One of the six international judges for the Robotic Competition held in MIT Pune, India
• International Committee Member (2003-2006): Journal of Advanced Robotics (published by Robotics Society of Japan)
• Chair/Co-Chair of Conference Sessions: Nat. IPROMM, Jan.’05, IIT Kharagpur; IEEE Int. Conf. on R&A, Apr.’07, Rome, Italy
• Visiting Academic/Researcher: Monash Univ., Australia, June-July 2004; McGill Univ., Canada, May-July 2002
• Humboldt Fellow: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany, in Univ. of Stuttgart (May 1999-Jan. 2000).
• Invited Lectures [152]
• Newspaper Interviews [21]:  See http://sksaha.com/news
• Dean’s Honors List: McGill University, Canada, 1991 (for an excellent Ph. D. thesis)
• Book Reviewer [1]: Springer, UK
• Journal Reviewers [5+]
  
  • International Journal of Robotic Systems, USA
  • ASME Transactions: Journal of Mechanical Design
  • International Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan
  • IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation
  • Int. Journal of Mechanisms and Machine Theory

Professional Membership

• Fellow [1]: IEI (Since 2008)
• Senior Member [1]: IEEE (Since 2007)
• Member [4]: IEEE (1991-2007), USA; SAE (Since 1997); IEI (1997-2008) & AMM (Since 1995) & The Robotics Society (Since 2011), India

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Foreign Languages
  
  • Japanese (Fluent)
  • French and German (Little)
• Hobbies
  
  • Traveling [26 Countries:  Canada, USA, Jordan, Japan, Thailand, China, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Austria, France, Portugal, Spain, Nepal, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, Vietnam, Russia, Switzerland, Poland, Ethiopia, Mexico, Iran, Bulgaria, Bangladesh;

India (26 of 29 States + 3 of 7 Union Territories): West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Kerala, Bihar, Goa+ Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Manipur]

• Playing squash/badminton/tennis
• Reading novels
• Acting