DTMES 2022 - Presentation

Abstract - Traditionally, inequity problems arising from lack of access to basic human needs such as food insecurity, affordable health care are thought of as global problems only pertinent to developing and underdeveloped countries. However, these problems silently exist and are exponentially growing in developed countries such as the United States, Europe, and the far-East. These problems are driven by the equity gaps, including the technological equity gap, put to the forefront and further magnified by the covid-19 pandemic. This talk is presented in two parts. The first part unfolds the clear equity gaps in access to basic human needs in the developed, developing, and underdeveloped parts of the world. The second part illustrates the subject of frugal engineering and manufacturing approaches to address these equity gaps. Further, the talk also highlights the importance of convergence among science, engineering, education, policy, economics, community engagement, and businesses for understanding and developing affordable and accessible solutions for the complex problem of inequity in urban and rural communities in the world. Such convergence could be understood through a study of bio-inspired designs and technologies, and equally effectively through the review of successful and representative frugal social innovations around the world. Talk identifies key attributes of the frugal engineering and manufacturing approach to guide democratized innovation for equity by advancing not only acceptability and availability but also accessibility and affordability to basic human needs and related technologies.

Recommended references: 1. "Frugal Engineering for Social Equity: Technology and Competitiveness, A Perspective", A.P. Malshe, D. Agonafer, S. Bapat, J. Cao et al., National Academy of Engineering, The Bridge, NAE (Spring 2021; invited paper); "Biological strategies from natural structures for resilience in manufacturing", A. Malshe, S. Bapat, K. Rajurkar, S. Melkote, CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology 34 (2021) 146-156; 3. "Quo Vadimus: Humanism, Going Beyond the Boundaries of Capitalism and Socialism", A.P. Malshe, S. Bapat, ASTM Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Systems 4, no. 3 (invited paper; 2020) pp. 338-340.

Dr. Malshe is R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University. He has 27 years of academic scholarship, and 15 years of partly overlapping nanomanufacturing business entrepreneurship experience taking breakthrough ideas from the tabletop-to-factory floor as the Founder CTO, and Board member of NanoMech Corp (now VinTech NanoMaterials). He is a member of professional organizations including ASEE, ASME, CIRP, NAE, and SME, and serves various roles. Subjects of his competencies are smart human-centric convergent manufacturing, bio-inspired designs, multifunctional materials, and system integration. Application areas of his experience are heavy-duty machines, heterogeneous microelectronics, smart food manufacturing for equity, and in-space manufacturing. He has over 27 allowed/pending patents, over 225 peer-reviewed publications, and over 110 invited/keynote/plenary talks in the above-listed areas. More than 60 percent are licensed resulting in commercialized products for leading aerospace, automotive (EV), energy, heavy-duty trucking, racing, and other smart and precision manufacturing industries. Malshe received more than 45 international recognitions including a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), SME's S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award and The 20 most influential professors in smart manufacturing recognition, and Fellowships of the American Society of Materials (F.ASM), the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (F.ASME), the International Academy of Production Engineering (F.CIRP), and the UK's Institute of Physics (F.InstP) and National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He has educated/mentored more than 1200 scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.