Preface of the 4th International Conference on Future Technologies in Manufacturing, Automation, Design, and Energy 2024 (ICOFT 2024) ^†

1. Introduction

This is the fourth in a series of conferences held annually in India, designed to disseminate knowledge on the latest technological developments and cutting-edge research in Manufacturing, Automation, Design, and Energy (MADE) among academicians, researchers, scientists, industry personnel, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Available online: https://2024.icoftnitpy.com/ (accessed on 20 May 2025).

The conference will serve as the premier interdisciplinary forum relevant to Mechanical Engineering, facilitating discussions on recent technologies, innovations, research findings, challenges, solutions, and perspectives on future directions within the field. The paradigm shift in Mechanical Engineering, driven by Industry 4.0, Digital Twin, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning, will be highlighted through keynote lectures and paper presentations at ICoFT MADE 2024. Researchers are encouraged to participate and take advantage of the opportunity to network with peers and enhance their research capabilities and experience.

As part of the forthcoming ICoFT MADE 2024, scheduled to be held from 11 to 13 December at NIT Puducherry, we are honored to commemorate the legacy of our esteemed former director, Prof. K. Sankaranarayanasamy, for his unparalleled contributions to NIT Puducherry. His tenure as Director was a transformative period, during which the institution achieved remarkable milestones and gained global recognition.

2. Topics

• Manufacturing;
• Automation;
• Design;
• Energy;
• Artificial Intelligence;
• Machine Learning Techniques.

3. Committee

Organizing Committee

Dr. N. Sendhil Kumar, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. N. M. Sivaram, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. A. Johnney Mertens, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. M.V.A. Raju Bahubalendruni, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. M. Vadivukkarasan, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. J. Ronald Aseer, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. S. Somasundaram, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. P. Sathish Kumar, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

Dr. R. Naveen Raj, National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, India

4. About the Keynote Speakers

Dr. V. Saraswathy from the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI) in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India, delivered the keynote lecture on the topic of “Corrosion Mitigation Technologies for Important Infrastructure”. Dr. Saraswathy shared her insights on the latest advancements and practical applications in the field.

Dr. M. Surianarayanan delivered a lecture on research opportunities in safety engineering. He represented the Cell for Industrial Safety & Risk Analysis at CSIR—Central Leather Research Institute in Adayar, Chennai, India. Dr. Pankaj Rohilla gave a lecture on fluid ejections in nature at the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Dr. Karthik Menon presented a lecture on computational modeling for personalized treatments of coronary artery diseases. He represented the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA. Dr. ShanmugaSundar D from the School of Engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, delivered a lecture on next-generation smart sensors. His talk focused on the advancements and applications of smart sensor technology in various fields.

Dr. Dhanesh G. Mohan, University of Sunderland in England, United Kingdom, delivered a lecture on “Artificial Intelligence in Additive Manufacturing”. Dr. Mohan explored the transformative impact of AI technologies on the field of additive manufacturing.

Dr. V. Saraswathy, Chief Scientist (CECRI), Karaikudi, inaugurated the conference in the presence of Dr. S. Sundaravarathan, Registrar of NITPY; Dr. G.S. Mahapatra, Dean (Research and consultancy), NITPY; Dr. A. Karpagaraj, Chairman ICoFT 2024, NITPY; Dr. Jack J. Kenned, Secretary ICoFT 2024, NITPY; and Dr. Johnney Mertens A., HOD Mechanical Engineering, NITPY (Figure 1).

During the inauguration, the chief guest highlighted the importance of the corrosion and material protection of structures in India and worldwide. This year, over 220 participants from around the world attended, including researchers, academicians, and industry experts. ICOFT MADE 2024 provided an interdisciplinary forum relevant to Mechanical Engineering to discuss recent technologies, innovations, research findings, challenges, and solutions. The conference received 183 research paper submissions, and 130 papers were selected after peer review. This conference was partially supported by ATOS (Figure 2).