Indian Astronomers Collab with 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate for Proposed World's Largest Telescope Project

The Thirty-meter telescope (TMT) project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India

2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Prof. Andrea Ghez had worked closely with Indian astronomers on the design of back-end instruments and possible science prospects of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project being installed at Maunakea in Hawaii, which can revolutionized the understanding of the universe and the enigmas in it. 

Besides, Prof. Ghez’s remarkable contribution in the discovery of a super massive compact object at the center of our Galaxy along with Prof. Roger Penrose and Prof. Reinhard Genzel for which they shared the Nobel prize in physics, Prof. Ghez was deeply involved in the development of the related instrumentation and possible science prospects for the TMT, the next-generation observatory. She was part of the team working towards evaluating possible front-line science cases and instrumentation for TMT utilizing associated front-line cutting edge technologies like adaptive optics. 

To recall, in October 2013, India along with the US, China and Japan have all committed funds towards this the-$1.2 billion TMT project. And, though the share of India's funding is not available but it was said that it was close to USD $250 million. 

The Thirty-meter telescope (TMT) project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India; through the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Some of the Indian astronomers like Dr. Annapurni Subramanium, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Dr. Shashi Bhushan Pandey, a scientist at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) along with many others collaborated with Prof. Ghez in the ongoing research and developmental activities of the TMT project.

It had resulted in two significant papers, among many others. The scientific prospects and simulations by the first generation instrument for the TMT called the Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), were described in one of the SPIE proceedings in 2016. The latest end-to-end data simulator on Solar System bodies, the Galactic center, energetic transient objects, active galactic nuclei, and distant gravitationally-lensed galaxies were used. 

It showed the capabilities of IRIS/TMT to continue front-line scientific research in the near future to understand the nature of the supermassive compact object at the centre of our Galaxy and many more new aspects to discover "unknown-unknowns". The scientists highlighted the necessity of an advanced data management system and data reduction pipeline.

Another such collaborative publication in the journal Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 2015 has underlined versatile usage for future multi-messenger astronomy for various Galactic and extra-galactic objects using TMT includes many other Indian astronomers as a part of larger team along with Prof. Ghez.

The Thirty Meter Telescope, which seeks to advance scientific knowledge while fostering connection among the partner countries and their citizens, and in which Indian astronomers worked closely with Prof. Andrez Ghez, is expected to provide facilities with even greater capabilities to gather the observations needed to answer new and emerging questions in astronomy and physics in general.

First Time In India: An Airport Uses Augmented Reality & iBeacons To Improve Passenger Experience

There's something new in store for all the Mumbai travellers flying out from the GVK Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). In order to up the ante of passenger experience, the airport has recently launched a new smartphone application that includes a number of advanced features. Among these, the attractive use of augmented reality technology, which provides passengers with information on nearby facilities as they walk through the terminal, is the one that stands out.

Using the app, passengers can select their flight on the app and opt to receive push notifications relating to their specific flight. A combination of Indoor Atlas and iBeacon technologies provides the platform for the magnetically modelled indoor maps. Interestingly, this is the very first time that iBeacons have been installed in an Indian airport.

For the unaware, iBeacon, as the name suggests is a protocol developed by Apple, which makes use of bluetooth low energy proximity sensing in order to transmit a unique identifier picked by an operating system or a compatible app. The identifier and several bytes sent with it is then used to determine the device's physical location, track customers, or carry out a location based action on the device such as a push notification or a check-in on social media.

With beacons, airlines can easily provide passengers with indoor directions, walk times to gates, lounge access and alerts about boarding. Knowing where a passenger is before sending information enables more effective communication.

Currently available for free on iOS (here) and Android (here) platforms, the CSIA plans to continue to develop and better the current application. For example, it plans on adding a taxi booking service and a virtual walkthrough feature in order to allow passengers to experience various sections of the airport on their smartphones.

[caption id="attachment_102522" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The new Mumbai T2 App features augmented reality, push notifications, airport maps and retail guides.[/caption]

Called Mumbai T2, the app is India's first-ever indoor navigation app with augmented reality feature to guide a passenger through the terminal building. In the coming months, the app would get more ambitious as it will coordinate information from multiple sources to tell you what time to leave for the airport.

After the flight number is keyed in, the app will give constant information on the relevant flight, including details such as delays, change in boarding gates and boarding time. "The app uses technology that creates magnetically modelled maps and provides location-based information to the passenger using their 3G connections or free Wi-Fi services available at the airport

"We constantly endeavour to provide world-class facilities at T2, and always strive to make it as easy as possible for air travellers to discover them. With the Mumbai T2 app, travellers can design their own customised experiential tour with a single click," said Rajeev Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Mumbai International Airport Limited, in a statement.

"Moreover, we being a ‘silent’ terminal, cutting down on public announcements, the app will be a very handy tool for passengers to keep track of their flight schedule through constant notifications," he further added.

First Time In India: An Airport Uses Augmented Reality & iBeacons To Improve Passenger Experience

There's something new in store for all the Mumbai travellers flying out from the GVK Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). In order to up the ante of passenger experience, the airport has recently launched a new smartphone application that includes a number of advanced features. Among these, the attractive use of augmented reality technology, which provides passengers with information on nearby facilities as they walk through the terminal, is the one that stands out.

Using the app, passengers can select their flight on the app and opt to receive push notifications relating to their specific flight. A combination of Indoor Atlas and iBeacon technologies provides the platform for the magnetically modelled indoor maps. Interestingly, this is the very first time that iBeacons have been installed in an Indian airport.

For the unaware, iBeacon, as the name suggests is a protocol developed by Apple, which makes use of bluetooth low energy proximity sensing in order to transmit a unique identifier picked by an operating system or a compatible app. The identifier and several bytes sent with it is then used to determine the device's physical location, track customers, or carry out a location based action on the device such as a push notification or a check-in on social media.

With beacons, airlines can easily provide passengers with indoor directions, walk times to gates, lounge access and alerts about boarding. Knowing where a passenger is before sending information enables more effective communication.

Currently available for free on iOS (here) and Android (here) platforms, the CSIA plans to continue to develop and better the current application. For example, it plans on adding a taxi booking service and a virtual walkthrough feature in order to allow passengers to experience various sections of the airport on their smartphones.

[caption id="attachment_102522" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The new Mumbai T2 App features augmented reality, push notifications, airport maps and retail guides.[/caption]

Called Mumbai T2, the app is India's first-ever indoor navigation app with augmented reality feature to guide a passenger through the terminal building. In the coming months, the app would get more ambitious as it will coordinate information from multiple sources to tell you what time to leave for the airport.

After the flight number is keyed in, the app will give constant information on the relevant flight, including details such as delays, change in boarding gates and boarding time. "The app uses technology that creates magnetically modelled maps and provides location-based information to the passenger using their 3G connections or free Wi-Fi services available at the airport

"We constantly endeavour to provide world-class facilities at T2, and always strive to make it as easy as possible for air travellers to discover them. With the Mumbai T2 app, travellers can design their own customised experiential tour with a single click," said Rajeev Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Mumbai International Airport Limited, in a statement.

"Moreover, we being a ‘silent’ terminal, cutting down on public announcements, the app will be a very handy tool for passengers to keep track of their flight schedule through constant notifications," he further added.

India Funding for World's Largest Telescope TMT in Hawaii

The 30-metre telescope, called the TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope) is proposed to be built on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, US. India along with China, Japan and U.S. have all committed funds towards this $1.2 billion project of world's largest telescope. However the share of India's funding is not available but its said that it is close to USD $250 million.

The TMT project is led by the California Institute of Technology and the Associated Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy.

TMT Observatory Corporation is also partnered with Department of Science and Technology of India. In year 2010, a consortium of Indian Astronomy Research Institutes joined TMT project as an observer. The observer status is the first step in becoming a full partner in TMT and participating in the engineering development and scientific use of the observatory (Subject to approval of funding from Indian Government).

In 2012, India and China became partners, with representatives on the TMT board. China and India will pay a share of the telescope construction costs, expected to top $1 billion. Japan, which has its own large telescope at Mauna Kea, the 8.3-metre Subaru, is also a partner.

The question here rises for India as being only developing nation which other ground things to offer for its population other than throwing so much of money in science project of telescope which will not be deployed in India infact. India is only developing nation among all funding countries why India came as desperate funding source as rest of the countries - US, Japan and China are already developed and they can fund such luxurious projects.

But if anything to go by news sources India hopes that this TMT partnership will allow the country to acquire critical technology that would help it build a 10-meter telescope in India itself.

TMT may not hold the title of world's largest for long, however, as a partnership of European countries plans to build the European Extremely Large Telescope, which would have a 42-meter, or 138-foot, mirror.

World's First Smartphone for Blind

Soon, Blind people will get their own Smartphones dedicated just for them based Braille pattern, and will be able to send/read SMSs, pictures on this first of its kind smartphone which converts all text into Braille patterns. The phone is set to be launched in India first read on below for interesting features this phone have.

Earlier there has been claims of developing smartphones for blind such as - Qualcomm developed a smartphones called Ray for visually impaired but it works on voice recognition and finger movements in different directions and then came Georgie, created by Mr Wilson-Hinds and his wife who himself are blind, but it's rather a pack of apps for android phones and its more of a voice based app and has limited features.

This new smartphone developed in India is world's first smartphone based on blind's script called - 'Braille', this braille phone is a phone for Blind users. Its primary medium of communication is a haptic touch screen that allows users to "feel" the information on the screen. Using height mapping, the device will be able to project information ranging from textual (Braille), images, and animations and videos.



The interesting parts that this phone is that its more than a smartphone for blind and indeed a companion, this is what that put this phone far ahead than other phones/apps for visually impaired/ blinds which have been created earlier and some of the unique and distinguished features are:

1. It is based on Braille pattern which makes it multi-lingual and people from any region across the globe speaking/reading different languages can use it. (unlike to phones/ apps for blinds where people who don't know English can't use it )


2. It can capture/scan visuals/pictures and convert them into Braille pattern.


3.  It can scan text from sources such as newspaper, text document and convert them to braille pattern.

The company behind Braille smartphones is incubated by CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad and self-funded by its creator Sumeet Dagar a designer/innovator and TED fellow post-graduated from National Institute of Design, Sumit collaborated with IIT Delhi and LV Prasad Eye Institute Hyderabad to conceptualize the prototype this braille based phone.

How It Works -

• The smartphone uses Shape Memory Alloy technology, based on the concept that metals remember their original shapes, i.e. expand and contract to its original shape after use.


• The phone's 'screen' has a grid of pins, which move up and down as per requirement. The grid has a Braille display, where pins come up to represent a character or letter.


• This screen will be capable of elevating and depressing the contents to form patterns in Braille.


• All other elements are like any other smartphone.

Creator of this smartphone Delhi based Sumit has won prestigious Young Laureate award and US$50,000 from Rolex in December 2012.

5 Indian Living Legends & their Great Contribution in Technology

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. - Albert Einstein

India is considered as one of the oldest civilization in the world and Indians as the soul of very discoveries and inventions, right from invention of dams & bridges in high middle ages to invention of '0' by Aryabhatta, contribution of wireless communication by Jagdish C Bose or Satyendra Nath Bose contribution of Bose–Einstein statistics in quantum physics.

It was Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, India who for the first time to the world shows experimentally that the plants are living and have feelings like other living organisms, consume food and sleep during nights, can have wounds which was otherwise considered as chemical nature.

Controversies were also there which says it was Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, Maharashtra, India in year 1895 when first airplane was flown and that's too unmanned airplane, 8 years before Wright brothers got famous for.

All The While, in today's modern world there are many things which was once considered as luxurious are now necessities of life like computers, internet, TV etc. Below are some of the important inventions of modern science & technology having Indian contributions.

Ajay Bhatt: For Inventing USB

An Indian graduated from Baroda city, Ajay Bhatt paved the way for Intel to bring disruptive and now widely used technologies such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), PCI Express, Platform Power management architecture and many more chipset enhancements.

Ajay hold 10 US patents on his name for his various inventions and many more pending in file. Ajay joined Intel in 1990 and now he is Intel's Chief I/O architect. View Ajay Bhatt profile on Intel official website.
 

Arun Netravali: For HDTV

Arun is yet another IITian, Electrical engineer (IIT-Mumbai) known for pioneering contributions that transformed TV from analog to digital especially the development of HDTV technology at Bell Labs in the 1990s.

His work led to development of a video encoder which today is being used by more than 150 TV channels for their HDTV broadcasts, surprising isn't it. Arun Netravalu worked for NASA, tought in MIT, worked in Bell Labs as President, Lucent Technologies as Chief scientist.

 

Krishna Bharat: For Google News & first ever 'News' aggregator

Krishan Bharat who is Principal research Scientist at Google Inc. is responsible for developing Google News which is an automated news aggregator provided by Google Inc where not a single person is involved in the altering of the front page or story promotion unlike to traditional news portal it's just tweaking the aggregation algorithm which pulled the news all over the web.

Krishna Bharat is also 2003 World Technology Award winner for Media & Journalism, moreover he is also responsible for founding Google's R&D Center in Bangalore, India in 2004 and heading the operation for 18 months.

 

Narinder Singh Kapany: For Fibre Optics

In 1960 Dr.Narinder Singh Kapany, wrote an article in Scientific American which coined a new term, which is called - 'Fiber Optics'. He is an Indian born American physicist known for his pioneer research work in fiber optics and considered as one of the founders of fiber optics and popularly called as first light-bender, an important invention used in voice, data, and video transmission technologies and even used for medical purpose such as endoscopy, bronchoscopy.

Narinder Singh Kapany was one of a unsung heroes, as described by Fortune magazine in 1999. While working in ordnance factory after graduation, Kapany thought that light need not travel in a straight line, that it could be bent.

Unlike to many, he is a non-IITian and rather graduated from Agra university, done Ph.D from prestigious Imperial College of  London in 1955 and noticeably, he has more than 120 patents to his name.

 

Vinod Dham For Pentium Processors

He is known as the Father of Pentium microprocessor chip, a very popular term in computer world and even in consumers when 80386, 80486 processors used to rule the world's computers, it's the Pentium processor which broke the ice. Working for company Intel he invented a highly successful 'Pentium' processors.

Vinod is also co-inventor of the flash memory technology, popularly known as SD cards widely used in USB drives, digital cameras and many other storage devices. Apart from Intel he worked for prestigious companies like AMD, NCR Corporations and holds graduation degree in Electrical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.

Presently Vinod is founding MD of Indo US Venture Partners, an investment company with focus on investing in Indian companies & startups of varied sectors.

Indian Researchers Developed World's Smallest Antenna

Researchers at BIT (Birla Institute of Technology), Ranchi, India have developed a smallest ultra wide-band antenna with high bandwidth, low energy and very cheap cost as per the news.

Srikanta Pal, academician and Mrinmoy Chakraborty, PhD research scholar at BIT (Mesra) Ranchi, India developed world's smallest super compact ultra-wide band (UWB) planar antenna with size of 14 mm X 11 mm useful in homes, military and among other domains.

The material used for antenna design is fiber reinforced plastics, which is less expensive. The fabrication process is simple wet chemical etching method. The UWBs are basically for high data rates, for short range, wireless personal area networks (WPANs) and this antenna can be pasted on any curved surface

The images or visuals of the antenna are not officially released  yet.

Previously, the smallest antenna record was held by researcher at Virginia Tech, USA developed in year 2008 with same bandwidth of 10:1.  (view here)

Srikanta Pal,  has made into world news earlier as well when National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), GREEN Bank, USA has installed his research products on World's largest 110Meter x 100Meter diameter GBT (Green Bank Telescope), read more here.

Top Picture Credit -  Alexis Tejeda

Param Yuva II - India's Fastest and World's 62nd Fastest Supercomputer Unveiled

Yesterday, on 8th February Pune based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) unveiled India's fastest supercomputer till date called - 'Param Yuva II', the same will be ranked as 62nd fastest in the world. The supercomputer is 8th among Param series of supercomputers in India first developed in 1991.

Param Yuva II, created & developed in a record three months by team of 300 people of C-DAC with an investment of Rs 16 core (USD $3 million) has 524 tera-flops of computing capability with storage capacity of 200 TB which is almost 10 times faster than the present facility.

This version of Param Yuva supercomputer is energy-efficient with 35% reduction in energy consumption as compared to the earlier one and is better than most supercomputing systems and would have achieved 33rd position in the November 2012 List of Top Green 500 supercomputers of the world.

With the power of Param Yuva II, areas like weather forecasting, seismic data analysis, scientific data processing, pharmaceuticals, bio informatics, aeronautical engineering will all be benefitted due to Param Yuva II.

As of November 2012, India has 8 systems and now with Param Yuva II its become 9 and India ranked 8th in the world by number of super-computing systems deployed.