Geek Speak: Varun Srinivas

When one observes the various students that assemble for a class or a session, one cannot help but wonder the diversity each one of them bring to the gathering. These young minds which may vary from being all knowing to all observing add a unique flavour to the classroom. While the faculty is the one who bears the brunt of the flavour these 10 somethings bring to the room, for onlookers it is always a sight to behold as knowledge dissipates through the class. Equally interesting, or amusing, is the attitudes displayed by these students. Some of them take pride in their capabilities and wares. These are the ones that teachers find hard to contain. There are still others who are quite unassuming and hold their foot steady even after being extraordinary in their performance. These are the ones that who take a deep breath before every action of their and ensure that they bring a calming influence to everyone around them. Today we meet someone who has quite a calming influence on everyone around him. Meet Varun, a “stealth” roboticist and our focus for today’s geek speak.

Hey Varun! Do you mind introducing yourself to our readers?

Hello everyone! I am Varun Srinivas, the “Stealth” roboticist. I study in class 7 of PSBB KK Nagar.

Can you tell us what led you to join Kidobotikz?

Well,it’s not a very long story. Kidobotikz has always been in the vicinity of KK Nagar and had been glancing on their banners for quite some time on my way back from school. One day I just walked into the center and inquired about the courses. Not long after that did I join here...

That’s as simple as anyone would’ve put it. So, did you find you were looking for at Kidobotikz?

To be honest, before joining Kidobotikz, I was quite blank about what to expect and what to learn. I wasn’t exactly sure whether robotics was the way to go about. But then, all those doubts in me were laid to rest at the end of the first class. I was sold on the whole idea of learning robotics concepts because it was made comprehensible in the class.

Well, I’m sure Team Kidobotikz is happy with your compliments. Meanwhile, how’s your level progressing? 

I’m in the advanced level. Unlike most students who’ve been here for more than a year or so, i am a relatively new entrant. I joined here only in the month of April. Kidobotikz conducted a summer camp where I completed the first two levels. That way I had a headstart over most others.

What’s one thing you love about Kidobotikz?

Their faculty. Their faculty are all so patient. They help us in patiently understanding each concept and provide us with the time to grasp them at our learning levels. This for me is the most favourite aspect of Kidobotikz. They ensure that no one is left behind.

Good hear. Moving on, how was your KRG experience this time?

It was a very memorable experience. This was my first KRG and I managed to make it to the quarterfinals of the all events. While the fact that I didn’t win did sting a little, I still happened to take back a lot of positives from the event. If there was one place where I went wrong, it is the fact that I used lead acid batteries instead of LiPo batteries. This affected the weight of my robots in key situations.

For the final question, what are your favourite kind of robots and what are future plans after schooling? 

Well, my plans after schooling are still in planning stage. I haven’t given them much thought. I’d like to take it as it comes. For, the first question, My favourite bots would be race robots and hexapods. These are the ones that I am capable of building and hence they are my favourites.

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Tapia robot claims to understand human emotions

Can robots eventually end up as our mates one day? Who knows, and that is one particular topic that has been approached many times in science fiction endeavors, be it in print or on the silver screen. Until that fateful day arrives, however, plenty of work needs to be done — including making sure that robots of today are able to figure out human emotions. Now that is certainly a big ask by any measure, taking into consideration how men and women have not completely understood each other until today, so what more a robot? Never mind that, as Tapia the robot has adopted Smartmedical’s Empath, a vocal emotion recognition technology that is used in a range of business fields such as mental health, call centers, and entertainment, allowing to a certain degree, Tapia to be able to understand human emotion via dialogue with users — including joy, calm, sorrow, anger, and vigor.

How does Tapia the robot work? For starters, it will respond to users based on their emotion, and will express her feelings by the eyes and voice. Tapia gets to work by analyzing a slew of physical properties of the voice such as pitch, speed, and volume, where Smartmedical’s Empath will then be able to use its algorithms to identify emotion in real-time regardless of language.

As the accuracy of speech recognition technology has significantly improved in recent times, this allows the robot to better recognize and respond to what you say. Unfortunately, the robot is unable to understand how you say something, and they are unable to understand your emotion beyond language prior to Empath. With Empath, that is now reality and possible. Does this mean that we can now have robots as partners to unload our emotions at the end of the day? While emotionally shedding our thoughts, hopes and dreams can be therapeutic, getting the right touch — a hug or a kiss, can also do wonders, and this is where robots still fall short of an actual human.

By analyzing multiple physical properties of the voice such as pitch, speed, and volume, Smartmedical's Empath can identify emotion in real-time regardless of language. Collaboration with the robot interface using speech recognition technology such as Tapia expands the possibility of communication between humans and robots. Since the accuracy of speech recognition technology has significantly improved recently, the robot can better recognize and respond to what you say. However, the robot cannot understand how you say something. They cannot understand your emotion beyond language. 

Sources: Coolest Gadgets.com, PR Newswire

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Geek Speak: Anirudh

When one thinks of schooling and the fun associated with it, it is usually only till grade ten. All the fun and frolic the school life can give is usually done by the end of class 10. After that it’s only board exams, then a major leap in the toughness subjects in class 11 and bam comes class 12 where you find yourself preparing for the board exams yet again. Before you know, all your exams are done, counselling is done and you are already a student of some university of repute. But what many of us fail to realize during this time is that education is equally fun and has to be viewed from a holistic perspective that makes it worth the effort of going through all the hardships in the formative years. The ones who take a breath and calm down before deciding on what they want to do in these years are the ones who tend to balance both their fun life and careers. Today we meet someone who thinks he has taken such a stride by joining Kidobotikz. Meet Anirudh, a young roboticist and our focus for today’s geek speak.

Hey Anirudh! Do you mind introducing yourself to our readers?

I’m Anirudh. I’m in the 11th grade. And I belong to Devi Academy Senior Secondary School. 

Can you tell us what led you to join Kidobotikz?

My introduction to Kidobotikz is a rather interesting story. I used to live in the vicinity of KK Nagar. So, I’ve known Kidobotikz ever since their inception. And I have always been pestering my parents about getting me enrolled here. But when I asked mom for the first time, she wanted me to concentrate on my studies because she wasn’t sure if I would fit in or was robotics a good choice for me. Then, I let it go. But as it turns out, my parents had made enquires on Kidobotikz and had understood what was being done here. So, as a surprise for my 15th birthday, my parents brought me to the Kidobotikz center and told me that I had been enrolled here. 

Interesting. So, how does it feel to be a robotics hobbyist? And what impact has Kidobotikz had on you ?

Well, since I am in class 11, I have a extensive syllabi to study as it is. Thanks to Kidobotikz, I have actually learnt a few of these concepts before hand. Also, it is very helpful when it comes to learning concepts because I can now imagine how every theory plays out. This way, the learning becomes easy. Even otherwise, Robotics is a much needed diversion for me after a hard week at school.

Moreover, Kidobotikz has also had one profound impact on students like me. Now that I actually know what the crux of engineering would be like, it helps in the decision making process when it comes to the choice of field for my undergrad studies. 

Now that you say Kidobotikz has helped you with the decision making, what have you decided to do for your graduation?

I’ve always been interested with flying, aviation and the whole gamut of soaring in the sky. So, I’ve kept tabs on things happening in the aviation and aerospace industries. More importantly, I am very interested in the work of NASA, SpaceX and others. So, I am thinking of pursuing aerospace engineering. As of now, I’ve set my sights on the Indian Institute of Space science and Technology(IIST) Thiruvananthapuram.

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IAF's Western Air Command places all bases under drone surveillance

IAI Searcher

The Indian Air Force's (IAF) premier Western Air Command (WAC) on Saturday declared that it was putting all of its bases under a 'continuous' surveillance by drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This has been done to enhance the security cover in and around the 200 bases which come under the WAC.

IAF's Searcher MkII

It was for the first time that such a move had been undertaken. The IAF has Israel-made Heron and Searcher UAVs in its fleet on which differing payload can be fitted. They can, given the payload, be used in a variety of missions. The IAF as yet does not armed UAVs. 

The Delhi-based WAC, given its location and critical Area Of Responsibility (AOR) has been involved in practically all the major wars India has fought. The command also has maintained lines of supply for troops deployed on the Siachen glacier.

MOVE IN THE WAKE OF PATHANKOT TERROR STRIKE 

Heron MALE drone

Indicators are that this is move made in the wake of the terrorist strike on the Pathankot air force station, earlier this year. During that particular operation, it was a UAV which had pointed out the location of the terrorists who'd taken the cover of bushes. Explaining the move, a source said, "When there is an exercise on, the full strength of a base is on an operational deployment. The security pickets and patrols are enhanced and strengthened. Following the terror strike, a lot of measures were undertaken. The UAVs will tell us how good are these measures and the coordination unfolding".

"Deploying UAVs given the flexibility to the commander to immediately cross check the actual deployment of assets and personnel on ground," said another source.

Source: India Today

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The Great Indian Engineering Bungle ! !

If we’ve had a look at the calendars today, not many of us would’ve bothered to look twice. It is a relatively normal date, September 15. But what the many of us do not know is that today is Engineer’s day, a day that commemorates the birthday of Shri. M. Visvesvaraya, a great Indian engineering juggernaut.

However, are we actually celebrating the Indian engineering education scenario? Not quite. India’s education system is often cited as one of the main contributors to the economic rise of India. The size of India’s higher education market is about $40 billion per year. Presently about 12.4 percent of students go for higher education from the country. If India were to increase that figure of 12.4% to 30%, then it would need another 800 to one thousand universities and over 40,000 colleges in the next 10 years. 

India, with more than a billion residents, has the second largest education system in the world (after China). But contrary to the image of India as a youthful engine of economic growth where many urban-based citizens work in some of the best technology-centered jobs in the world, the ground reality is such that many technically qualified students are found to be wanting in technical skills. Skills which signify a person’s cognitive capabilities and technical acumen seem to be relatively low in the new generation of engineering graduates that are churned out of India’s 3,345 engineering colleges.

If there’s a key take away from this, it has to be the fact that the education system seems to falter in a few key areas. Thanks to the Indian attitudes of “रट लेना” , most students tend to just rush through concepts in the last moment, memorize them and leave with half baked knowledge for the examinations. Once they are done with examinations, the whole subject or concept becomes useless to them. The practical learning of concepts is something these students give less credence to. 

When such is the state, how can a culture of innovation and competition thrive in an ecosystem where thousands of engineers with basically zero understanding of concepts are made to sit in front of personnel from the industry who are on the lookout for talent that has a practical understanding of the industry. This is one of the main reasons why a majority of engineers in our country are considered unemployable.

How can this be changed? By endless lectures to bored audiences? A big NO.

The indian engineering scenario cannot be changed at the superficial level. It needs change at the grassroots level- the schooling. If every student is shown the importance of creativity and the significance of practically learning his concepts, whether be it Science or Math, he/she would shun from memorizing concepts and rather try to learn them. 

Concepts in STEM learning can be learnt using innovative activities such as building miniature working models of cars, aircraft or robots. This will help them fine tune their understanding of vital concepts of science and technology and understand the inner workings behind major tech. 

Let us save budding engineers from the indian education scenario and earn them the future they deserve.

Happy Engineers Day ! 

Happy Roboting ! !

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Volvo's autonomous truck navigates itself through a dark mine

Earlier in the year, Volvo unveiled a fully autonomous construction truck that it planned to test in underground mines and that it said would "revolutionize the mining industry." Today, it has revealed more details of the planned testing and released footage of the truck operating beneath the Earth's surface.

Volvo says the FMX is the first autonomous truck in the world to be operated underground Six sensors, including GPS, radar and LiDAR, are fitted to the truck In the event that an obstacle is detected, the truck will stop and contact its control ... Of the sensors fitted to the truck, at least two are said to be able to ...

The Volvo FMX is part of a research project aimed at improving safety and productivity in places like mines, ports and other restricted and controlled environments that have a lot of repetitive driving.

The testing will take place at the Boliden mine in Kristineberg, Sweden. The FMX, which Volvo says is actually the first autonomous truck in the world to be tested underground, will cover a distance of 7 km (4 mi) into the mine and will reach a depth of 1,320 m (4,330 ft).

Six sensors, including GPS, radar and LiDAR, are fitted to the truck to continuously monitor its surroundings. The system creates a map of the mine's geometry and uses it to create a route through the tunnels for the truck to follow, as well to inform steering, gear changes and speed. Each visit allows the truck to further refine its model of the mine and to subsequently optimize its route and fuel consumption.

Of the sensors fitted to the truck, at least two – and often three – are said to be able to monitor any point of its surroundings at any given time. In the event that an obstacle is detected, the truck will stop and contact its control center. To demonstrate this, Volvo has released a video showing member of the Volvo Group's executive board and its chief technology officer Torbjörn Holmström standing in the path of the truck.

"No matter what type of vehicle we develop, safety is always our primary concern and this also applies to self-driving vehicles," says Holmström. "I was convinced the truck would stop, but naturally I felt a knot in my stomach until the truck applied its brakes."

Volvo says the technology employed will ultimately help to optimize mining logistics. Such trucks will be able to operate continuously, eliminate congestion and cut the time taken for loading and unloading. In addition, the trucks need not wait for mines to be ventilated after blasting to continue operating, unlike people.

The testing at Boliden is due to begin soon and Volvo says it plans to have three such trucks being tested within a year.

The Volvo video below provides more information about the Volvo FMX.

Sources: New Atlas, Volvo Group, Volvo Trucks

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MIT Invented a Camera That Can Read Closed Books

With help from their colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a prototype imaging system that aims to read through closed books. In their recent study, the team tested the system using a stack of papers with one letter printed on each and found that it could correctly identify those written on the top nine sheets.

The new system takes advantage of terahertz radiation – the band of electromagnetic radiation that lies between microwaves and infrared light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Although other wave types – such as X-rays – can also penetrate surfaces, the team chose to use terahertz radiation because it can differentiate between ink and blank paper in a way that X-rays cannot. This stems from the fact that different chemicals absorb different terahertz frequencies to varying degrees, giving each chemical – such as those used in ink and paper – a unique frequency signature.

MIT algorithms designed to capture images from each paper use this absorption difference to make the characters as clear as possible. Afterwards, algorithms developed by Georgia Tech were able to interpret the often-distorted images as letters.

There is a spectral difference in absorption of a blank paper and ink material. The team tuned to that spectral contrast using computational methods to enhance the contrast significantly. This rendered the letters visible to their next algorithm, which recognized the characters.

The terahertz camera in the current prototype of the device emits terahertz radiation in ultrashort bursts. These bursts are reflected back to the camera's built-in sensors from the tiny air pockets that are trapped between each of the pages, which have different refractive indexes.

After hitting the sensor, the radiation is analyzed by an algorithm that determines the distance to each individual page of the book using the difference between its emission time and the time at which the reflected radiation returned to the sensor.

Page distances help the algorithm that renders the images filter out the "noise" created by radiation that bounces around the gaps before returning to the sensor. By pinpointing only terahertz signals with arrival times that are suggestive of real reflections, the device combines this data with measures of the reflections' energy and assumptions regarding the energy profiles of these reflections and noise statistics. Ultimately, this allows the device to shed light on the chemical properties of the surfaces that reflected the terahertz radiation and "read" the letters on each page.

The current device can read up to a depth of nine pages in a stack of paper – after this point, the energy of the reflected terahertz signal is too low for the sensors to be able to distinguish between different terahertz frequency signatures, making letter differentiation impossible. Future research will work on achieving deeper penetration through improving detector accuracy and radiation source power, and the technology could one day be used to look inside books that are too old to open without risking severe degradation.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Source: New Atlas, Gizmodo, MIT News

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