Science & Technology – Page 5

Udupi: SMVITM’s Dr Sachin Bhat wins Karnataka State Urban Mobility Grand Challenge

Dr Sachin S Bhat, head of the Department, Electronics and Communication Engineering of Shri Madhwa Vadiraja Institute of Technology and Management (SMVITM), Bantakal had won the prestigious Karnataka State Urban Mobility Grand Challenge conducted by the Department of Electronics, IT, BT, government of Karnataka.

He won the startup grant of Rs 10 lac for his work to assist the Police department in capturing the accident information on-site with minimal manual inputs and to register an online First Information Report. This tool uses Artificial Intelligence technique to extract information of accidents from photographs from an image captured at the accident spot and notifies the nearest hospital regarding the location and severity of accident.

Automated generation of accident data would help in capturing of better quality of data that can further be utilized for analyzing accident causes and remedies. Principal and management have congratulated Dr Bhat for his stupendous achievement.

Youth-led start-up to send 40 satellites to compile space debris data

The race to space has the downside of polluting it. A Bengaluru-based start-up plans to send out a constellation of 40 satellites that will gather data on space junk in the low-earth orbit (LEO).
The satellites that will be launched in early next year will gather information on millions of pieces of debris that litter LEO, which NASA describes as an “orbital space junk yard”.

Digantara, the start-up launched by three young engineers, has taken upon itself the mission to help clean up LEO.

Space junk can reach speeds of up to 18,000 miles per hour, according to NASA. Many of them range from 1 cm to 10 cm in diameter. Most of this orbital debris comprises “human-generated” objects such as parts of spacecraft that have long disintegrated, rocket and satellite components, and very small flecks of paint from spacecraft and whole satellites.

“The ones which are 1 cm in diameter are estimated to be a million. Besides, international space agencies have determined that they are aware of only 4 per cent of objects in space. The data for 96 per cent is still missing,” said Digantara chief operating officer Rahul Rawat, who is only 23 years old.

Digantara, which is incubated at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science, sent out a small satellite, a payload about the “size of a shoe box”, according to the start-up’s CEO Anirudh Sharma, on June 30 this year to gather information on space weather, including radiation, violent storms and other phenomena that can be potentially harsh for spacecraft and burn or fry them.

While this lone satellite has been sending out data to ground sensors, Rawat pointed to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink constellation of 40 of 49 satellites that were “lost in a single blow” when they encountered a gigantic “solar paroxysm” that burned the spacecraft and cost the company $100 million in February 2022.

It is precisely to avoid satellites getting caught up in such “solar outbursts” or other violent geomagnetic incidents that Digantara expects its own satellites – and the information it will send back to its ground sensors – to come to the rescue of space companies with ambitions of sending out satellites.

“We are the only start-up of its kind in India though there are competitors in the US and Canada,” Rawat said, adding the gathered data can help firms that are into remote sensing and insurance where risk analysis reports will be important.

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Swiss firm Hitachi sets up new facility at Doddaballapur

It has invested ₹100 cr for manufacture of power quality products

Hitachi Energy, a technology player that offers advanced solutions for a sustainable energy future globally, set up a new facility to manufacture power quality products (devices that test and check the quality of power) at Doddaballapur on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The Indian arm of the Switzerland-based Hitachi Energy has invested ₹100 crore to set up this new facility that has a production capacity of 20,000 units of advanced capacitors, banks and power electronics compensators for low, medium and high-voltage systems that are used in power utilities, industries, renewables and transportation segments, as per the company.

“We have a rich heritage and extensive footprint in this country and this new manufacturing unit for power quality solutions reinforces our commitment to facilitate India’s energy transition to net-zero,” said Claudio Facchin, CEO, Hitachi Energy.

“The expansion also strengthens our long-standing presence in Karnataka as we look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders in the ecosystem,’‘ he said in a media round table held at the facility on Tuesday.

Karnataka was fueling its ambitions of industrial growth through a prism of sustainable development goals, said Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister, at the facility opening ceremony held separately on the day. “Karnataka is a leading contributor to India’s industrial ambitions. With long-term committed partners such as Hitachi Energy, we continue to invest to make the state a global manufacturing hub,’‘ the Chief Minister further said.

Manufacturing of electrical equipment was an energy-intensive process. Keeping sustainability goals in mind, Hitachi adopted innovative processes at this factory that were capable of reducing electrical energy consumption per process step by almost 40%, said N Venu, Managing Director and CEO, India & South Asia, Hitachi Energy.

According to the International Energy Agency, the energy demand in India is set to double over the next 20 years driven by urbanization and industrialization.

Hitachi Energy employs around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generates annual business to the tune of $10 billion. The company, which forayed into India in 1962, claims it has one of its widest manufacturing bases.

Mangaluru: Srinivas Institute of Technology students receive ‘Best project of the year award’

The 45th series of state-level ‘Student Project Program’ was conducted by KSCST, Bengaluru, in association with VTU, Belagavi on August 12 and 13 at VTU.

In this project exhibition, project titled ‘Energy generation using fly-wheel and magnet; was awarded the ‘Best Project Of The Year’ under the project exhibition category.

This project was carried out by the students- Chirag G Poojary, Karthik C, Sajith and Vijetha K Naik of department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, under the guidance of professor Lokesha B.

Also, the project titled ‘Robotic Arm Installed Fruit Plucking UAV based on AI’ was awarded the ‘Best Project Of The Year’ under seminar category. This project was carried out by the students- Navaneeth Soni, Naveen Kumar, Nithin Kumar and Vardhaman Ravindra Vasavade of department of Aeronautical Engineering, under the guidance of professor Srinidhi Kukkila.

Dr Karisiddappa, vice-chancellor of VTU presented the awards. There were 332 projects for the exhibition. Dr CA A Raghavendra Rao, president and Dr A Srinivas Rao, vice-president of Srinivas group of institutions have appreciated the efforts by the students and also congratulated them for winning the awards. Dr Shrinivasa Mayya D, principal and the heads of the departments have also complemented the students for their outstanding performance in the programme and receiving the awards.

ATREE celebrates its silver jubilee this year

The two-day event is open to the public that will include discussion on state of conservation science, sustainable development debates and other activities

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is celebrating its silver jubilee on August 18 and 19 at the JN Tata Auditorium in IISc campus with several panel discussions, guest talks, film screenings and other events taking place.

Started in January 1996 as a research organisation to address environmental challenges of biodiversity loss and conservation for sustainable livelihoods, ATREE has worked in the areas of conservation of biological diversity and sustainable development, improvisation of institutional and policy framework for conservation of biodiversity and has helped several government and Non Government Organisations to make best use of the scientific knowledge to solve the problems of conservation.

After its initial days, a PhD in Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies programme was started in 2008 and in 2009, another interdisciplinary research institution, CISED was also established by ATREE with donor support. Further, the Centre for Environment and Development, the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and 20 research faculty members including environmentalists, geographers, sociologists and hydrologists also emerged. In 2019, ATREE launched two new centres, the Centre for Social and Environmental Innovation (CSEI) and the Centre for Policy design (CPD) for scaling up its environmental knowledge to the society and for engaging more with the government towards effective policy design and implementation.

Speaking to The Hindu on the occassion, Kamal Bawa — Founder, President & Chair, ATREE, said, “Our country has rich biodiversity and when we established ATREE, there was no institute that was looking at biodiversity in a holistic manner, that is all life in our forests, wetlands, rivers, oceans. Furthermore, we all know that biodiversity is declining all over the world and India was no exception, but this decline had ecological, social, political and economic dimensions. Thus, an institution was needed that had an interdisciplinary approach to conserving biodiversity and thus ATREE was born. ATREE is one of the few institutions that deals with the three major environmental challenges of declining biodiversity, water, and mitigation of climate change.”

The two-day event which is open to the public, will have discussion on state of conservation science and sustainable development, debates, book launches, film screenings and traditional performances.

Karnataka student’s Braille printer wins best social impact idea at startup fest

A portable and inexpensive Braille printer, an invention by a Karnataka student, won the Best Social Impact Business Idea at the SmartIDEAthon 2022, a nationwide pitch fest organised by Startup India in collaboration with several universities.

Prithvi Systems and Innovations founder and chief invertor Kaviraj Prithvi’s team was one of the 1,200 shortlisted for the fest and has been working towards inventing assistive technolog

The Tactall, a mouse-sized portable printer, allows for easy printing in Braille and is relatively inexpensive, according to Kaviraj.

“Braille printers print in standard dimensions and they are often very large, expensive and standalone, averaging to about $2000 to $3000. We wanted to make it more accessible for people to print in Braille, especially as this was a common problem which I found out when I had visited a school for the blind,” Kaviraj told TNIE. While the printer is in its prototype stage, Kaviraj, who is also pursuing engineering physics at II T Guwahati, and his team of 15 members, are also working towards inventing other types of assistive tech.

“All of our inventions have assistive angle to them. When I was younger, I wanted to start a startup and I felt that everything that I invented should have a social angle and must help people,” he said.

Apart from the printer, Kaviraj is also working towards building a non-invasive way to monitor blood pressure, as well as a patented rotor control system and a suspension system for bumps. “The suspension system is being designed specifically for wheelchairs and other support vehicles, but it can also be used generally. The rotor system is specifically for helicopters, to allow for easier rescue operations and to lessen turbulence while transporting patients,” he said.

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HAL opens office in Kuala Lumpur to explore business operations in Southeast Asia

HAL’s new office in Kuala Lumpur would take up the market promotion of the company’s range of products and services not only in Malaysia but also all of Southeast Asia

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will set up an office in Kuala Lumpur to tap business opportunities in Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asian region, the PSU said in a statement on Thursday.

The new office is expected to help the public sector firm to explore business around Fighter Lead-in Trainer (FLIT) LCA and other requirements of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) like Su-30 MKM and Hawk upgrades, as per HAL.

“It will reinforce the commitment of India in supporting the Malaysian Defence Forces and industry for sustainable aerospace and defence landscape in Malaysia,’‘ said a company communique.

According to HAL, the company had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Malaysia in October 2021 for the supply of 18 FLIT LCAs against a global tender issued by RMAF.

The final winner of the tender is expected to be declared soon by Malaysian authorities and LCA Tejas stands a fair chance of selection in the bid as it meets all the parameters sought by RMAF, as per the release.

‘American firms in Bengaluru bolstering US-India economic ties’

On her first visit to Bengaluru after assuming charge in September 2021, US Mission India Charge d’Affaires, Patricia Lacina met with business leaders and entrepreneurs to underscore the strong US-India economic and commercial ties.

Lacina acknowledged the immense contributions of over 650 US companies in Bengaluru that employ tens of thousands of Indian citizens in high-standard work environments in the formal sector.

She applauded their immense contribution to the US-India bilateral relationship — not only through their economic ties and investments, but also through corporate social responsibility initiatives and a commitment to the development of employee skills.

“This year, as our two countries commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations and trusted partnership, we celebrate a US-India partnership defined by US President Joe Biden recently as deep connection between our people – ties of family, of friendship, and of shared values. It is because of these shared values that US and Indian firms work so well together, forging a path for innovation and prosperity.”

Joining her in Bengaluru were US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin and Director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan.

The NSF Director visited Bengaluru to expand upon the strong partnership within the fields of science and technology. A Chennai native and graduate of the Indian Institute of Science, Panchanathan is in India to announce NSF funding for 35 collaborative research projects between US and Indian university laboratories.

NSF, under the direction of Panchanathan, is tasked with keeping the US at the leading edge of discovery in a wide range of scientific areas.

NSF has recently been the subject of major legislation which, in addition to supporting funding in all areas of basic research, establishes a new directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnership to greatly accelerate the translation of research to application.

Panchanathan also gave the Dr. M.A. Govind Rau Founder Memorial Lecture at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Lacina used the occasion to mark the arrival of the new Counsellor for Commercial Affairs Carey Arun.

Based in Chennai, Arun will oversee the US Commercial Service’s efforts in south India, supporting opportunities for US-India trade and business. The US Commercial Service has offices in Chennai and Bengaluru.

HAL developing AI-driven long-endurance drone for vigil over China border

State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is working on an AI-driven multi-role, advanced and long-endurance drone for strategic missions in high-altitude areas including along the frontiers with China, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

The rotary-wing drone will have the capability to carry a load of 40 kgs, including missiles and sensors, and it is being developed considering the requirement of the armed forces to keep a strong vigil over the mountainous areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), they said.

The HAL has set a target of conducting the maiden test-flying of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by the middle of next year and plans to produce 60 such platforms in the first phase of the project, the people in the know told PTI.

They said the operating system of the long-endurance drone will feature applications of Artificial Intelligence and the armed forces will be able to use it for multiple purposes including transporting essential supplies.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

Catch them young: HCL’s TechBee career programme to hire 2,000 Class 12 students in Karnataka

HCL Technologies is currently conducting walk-in training interviews across four cities — Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Hubballi and Mysuru — to hire Class 12 students

HCL Technologies, an IT services and digital transformation solutions provider, is planning to hire over 2,000 fresh talent from Karnataka, under its ‘catch them young’ drive.

As part of its early career programme, TechBee, the firm is currently conducting walk-in training interviews across four cities — Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Hubballi and Mysuru — to hire Class 12 students. Students who have completed Class 12 in 2021 or 2022 with a minimum of 60% with Mathematics or Business Mathematics in their curriculum would be eligible to be part of this programme, the company said.

Bespoke training and mentoring

To offer bespoke training and mentoring initiatives, HCL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) to train tech-savvy, enthusiastic individuals seeking to accelerate their careers in IT.

Subbaraman B, Vice President, HCL Technologies, said, “Under TechBee, we aim to hire the best talent, train them and enable them to achieve financial independence at the start of their career. So far, over 8,000 students have been selected for the TechBee programme across the country and are in various stages of their career journey with HCL.’‘

“We, at HCL, observed a lot of interest and potential in students in Karnataka as well. That is why we chose to do these walk-in drives in the state,’‘ he told The Hindu.