Information Technology (IT & Software) – Page 4

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGIES: IISc Develops Autopilot System for Drones

The reason for India’s slow progress in this sector is due to the non-availability of essential indigenous electronics components like microcontrollers and sensors at a reasonable cost.

With the exponential rise in drone usage across sectors like industrial applications, agriculture, logistics and defence, the need for indigenous avionics systems has become crucial. In order to reduce dependence on foreign drone technology, the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) has made a significant achievement in the field of unmanned aerial systems.

The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory (AIRL) at IISC announced that the team has successfully developed an indigenous industrial-grade autopilot system for drones. The team said this achievement is the initial step towards the indigenization of avionics systems for drones in India. This feat was possible through the utilization of Indian-made Vega Microcontrollers, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), as part of the Digital India RISC-V Program (DIR-V).

The indigenously developed technology will help reduce the reliance on microcontrollers in future drone avionics projects. Professor Suresh Sundaram, Associate Professor at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, who headed the project said, “Our autopilot system, powered by Vega Microcontrollers, showcases the immense potential of homegrown solutions in the unmanned aerial systems domain. We are confident that this breakthrough will pave the way for further advancements in this field and contribute to the growth of the drone ecosystem in India.”

India’s most used drone technologies which include an unmanned aerial system (UAV) that can help run a basic operation system and forward data to a navigation control unit, are imported from China, US, Israel, and several European countries.

The reason for India’s slow progress in this sector is due to the non-availability of essential indigenous electronics components like microcontrollers and sensors at a reasonable cost. The country also lacks a skilled workforce working on the UAV systems. Using imported tech comes with major security concerns such as hacking and data manipulation.

The country has been on a steady growth towards chip manufacturing and CDAC is a ray of hope in developing world-class microcontrollers. “This move will cut millions of dollars worth of electronics import over the years and make India self-reliant in terms of UAV technology,” said the laboratory.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA /NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL: COTO: Woman-only Social Media App. – A Safe Space for Women created by Bengaluru’s Aparna Acharekar, Co-Founder

This Independence Day, the co-founder of a women-only social media app, speaks about preserving freedom of expression for women, preventing online hate and maintaining the app’s identity.

Scrolling through social media these days, one cannot miss instances of hate – from homophobia to casteism, threats to slander, it comes in all forms. But women face an overwhelming share of that hate.

This Independence Day, the co-founder of a women-only social media app, speaks about preserving freedom of expression for women, preventing online hate and maintaining the app’s identity to ensure it doesn’t share the fate that befell Twitter.

In an attempt to curb this problem and to provide a safe space for women on the internet, Aparna Acharekar co-founded the women-only social app Coto (short for come together).

“The idea came from women facing harassment. We noticed that the more a woman expressed her thoughts online, the more hate she got. This was especially true for women influencers and celebrities. Not just here in India. We have data that shows this pattern across the world. We wanted to create a space where women would be able to ask questions and express themselves without inhibitions,” shares Acharekar, who has over two decades of experience in content creation.

The internet provides people with the luxury of anonymity. But some take advantage of this luxury to masquerade themselves in many ways. So, how does Coto ensure no one abuses the app? “We have various ways of verifying users. We use reliable and effective social recognition systems to ensure someone isn’t falsifying their identity. We also used two-factor authentication and if someone wishes to, they can opt to enter their Aadhaar details (other government ID data for people in other countries). We have taken ample steps to ensure that only women and transwomen get access to our app,” she explains.

coto has been live since January 2023 and surprisingly the app hasn’t recorded any instance of hate or abuse, largely due to its content moderation practices.

“First, there is an AI-level moderation, which picks derogatory works or inappropriate words. Inappropriate words or context, in our case, are very different from what you find on other social media. On a women-only app, when somebody uses the word breast or vagina, those words are not flagged off as inappropriate. Secondly, communities moderate their content and their members. So community members can report to, and escalate to admins of every community, pretty much like on a WhatsApp group. So if there is anything that is not contextual to the community or may be harmful to the community, the creators themselves moderate it. The platform does not unless their complaint has escalated,” she says.

coto comes with an identity – to create a space for women online. So, what are their plans to ensure the identity remains intact and doesn’t eventually lose itself, something that has plagued other social media apps over the years? “We believe social media should be decentralised. Women who come to coto and set up their communities are given coto tokens/gains. It essentially means that a large part of the platform will be owned by the community creators and members.” Regarding plans of expanding, Acharekar elaborates, “Presently our largest user base is in India and Egypt. But the application is available globally. We are soon planning on launching in Indonesia.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AI in HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / OPTHALMOLOGY: AI can Predict Severity of Conjunctivitis, says Dr. Rohit Shetty, Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru

Addressing reporters on Thursday, the doctor said that using imaging and molecular diagnostics has enabled them to use AI and bio-markers in conjunctivitis to predict severity.

In an effort to identify and treat severe conjunctivitis cases early, Narayana Nethralaya has managed to predict the severity of such cases using Artificial Intelligence (AI). “We are using AI to predict the severity of conjunctivitis. This can help clinicians provide the right treatment that helps in better recovery. This bio-marker work in tears is probably one of the first in the country, and could also be one of the first conjunctivitis-related tear bio-marker research in the world,” said Dr Rohit Shetty, chairman, Narayana Nethralaya explained.

Addressing reporters on Thursday, the doctor said that using imaging and molecular diagnostics has enabled them to use AI and bio-markers in conjunctivitis to predict severity. This AI-driven research has highlighted that people who are more prone to allergies or asthma and have low Vitamin D levels are getting severely affected. The AI model has demonstrated 97 per cent accuracy, affirming its successful interpretation.

Cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as ‘pink eye’, are on the rise in Bengaluru in the past few weeks. Doctors at Narayana see over 100 patients daily, with 30% of them being children. Most cases are caused due to adenovirus, and is not just a summer infection, but occurs in all seasons.

“This research is of paramount importance to patients and doctors, as the disease has been addressed with a blanket approach that may not be suitable for all. Depending on the severity, we can decide what medications would be suitable, and starting topical steroids early can be beneficial,” said Dr Gairik, consultant of cornea and refractive surgery, Narayana Nethralaya.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: KANNADA LANGUAGE: Udupi District and Taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat felicitate eminent Kannada Software Expert Nadoja K.P. Rao

Nadoja K.P. Rao has made immense contribution to the development of Kannada software.

Eminent Kannada software expert K.P. Rao (Kinnikambala Padmanabha Rao) was felicitated by the Udupi District and Taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat for his immense contribution to the development of Kannada software on Sunday, August 6, in Udupi.

Delivering the felicitation address at a programme organised by Nadoja K.P. Rao Felicitation Committee, noted writer and poet Jayanth Kaikini said that preoccupation without thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness without preoccupation were of little use. Viewed from this background, Mr. Rao has been the epitome of culmination of scholarliness and dedication, he said.

Mr. Kaikini noted that Mr. Rao used to learn textbook lessons by-heart in Yakshagana style while in classes 7 and 8 and return the textbooks to friends or the school. His life had not been a tele-serial monologue, but Mr. Rao evinced keen interest in music, cinema, science and many other fields. “He had five computers in his bedroom while many of us were yet to hear the word ‘computer,’ and used to dismantle every part of the machine and reassembly them. Mr. Rao thus had the habit of analysing every issue with curiosity,” Mr. Kaikini said.

In his response, Mr. Rao said both the almighty and the language were invisible to naked eyes; yet they have the power to take everyone together. The animal word learns the language from mother at first. Language empowers everyone to understand each other and encompasses the masses.

A.V. Baliga Hospital Director P.V. Bhandary inaugurated the programme in the presence of MGM College Principal Lakshminarayana Karantha, Moodbidri Jain Mutt seer Swastishree Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Panditacharyavarya Swamiji, Parishat District president Neelavara Surendra Adiga and others.

The programme was followed by workshops on different subjects and culminated with a dialogue with Mr. Rao.

Felicitation Committee honourary president Jayakara Shetty Indrali, president Vishwanath Shenoy, writer Muralidhara Upadhya Hiriyadka, Rashtra Kavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai Regional Research Centre administrative officer Jagadish Shetty, Parishat Taluk President H.P. Raviraj, teacher and Yakshagana patron Murali Kadekar and others were present.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

SOUTH INDIA: KARNATAKA: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): Meet Soundarya, South India’s First AI News Presenter by Kannada News Channel ‘Power TV’

The channel will also experiment with various news shows, featuring the new AI presenter, Soundarya.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) news presenters started entering into the Indian TV news industry, Kannada channel Power TV launched south India’s first AI news presenter. The management named the AI presenter Soundarya and on Tuesday, the first news show was rolled out, featuring her.

In the first show, Soundarya introduced self by saying, “Hello everyone. AI is leaving its footprint in every industry, and it has entered the TV news industry as well. A few of me colleagues (AI news presenters) started presenting news in some of the channels in north India. I am Soundarya, south India’s first robotic anchor by Power TV.” The channel will also experiment with various news shows, featuring the new AI presenter, Soundarya.

A few other channels in the country too have come up with their own AI powered news presenters.

Recently, an Odia channel called OTV launched state’s first AI news presenter Lisa. Lisa took the internet by storm after the flawless news presentation in both English and Odia impressed many people.

In March, India Today group launched country’s first AI news presenter Sana for their Hindi channel Aaj Tak.

Though there is a long way to go for the seamless AI news presenters to take over the human news presenters, the AI enthusiasts are calling it an interesting development in Indian TV journalism.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headlines edited)

INTERNATIONAL & INDIA / KARNATAKA: SPACE TECHNOLOGY: 4th edition ‘G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru: ‘Space technology has entered every household in one way or the other’

G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting begins in Bengaluru.

The 4th edition of G20 Space Economy Leaders’ Meeting (SELM) commenced in Bengaluru on Thursday July 6.

This is the first face-to-face meeting under the G20 umbrella, with the previous meetings organised in virtual and hybrid formats. Heads of national space agencies from 18 of the G20 countries and nine of the 11 invited members are participating in the two-day meet whose theme is ‘Towards a New Space ERA (Economy, Responsibility, Alliance)’.

Senior representatives from 32 global industries, and 53 local industries, are also participating in the meet.

During the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, PMO; MoES; S&T; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions; Dep. Of Space; Dept. of Atomic Energy, said that this gathering (G20 countries along with partner countries) represents nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, the best brains across the world in the space sector, 85% of the global GDP, and 75% of the world trade.

“You are not only spearheaders, torchbearers but also opinion-makers, and I am glad that India is in a position to share its inputs with other member countries as well. The new chapter of public-private participation is going to make it a value for all of us to learn the virtues of an integrated approach. An era of partnership is in the offing. Our concerns are common and our efforts have to be common. Therefore, the time has come to carry forward the collaboration to discover wider horizons in the times to come,” Dr Singh said.

“I hardly need to reiterate the importance that space technology has gained of late across the world. Rather, I would put it in a single sentence saying that space technology has virtually entered every household in one way or the other.”

He added that every aspect of human life, be it disaster management, agriculture, education, health, navigation, defence, is connected to space technology.

G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, said the space economy is experiencing rapid growth with increasing revenues and more commercial actors entering the industry. “Studies project that space could become a trillion dollar sector in the coming decades. This exponential growth necessitates support from governments worldwide. That is why, we are discussing space as a formal element in the G20,” Mr Kanth said.

Round-table meetings for the heads of space agencies, panel discussions, bilateral meetings and a plenary session are a part of the first day of the event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: DEFENCE SERVICES / TECHNOLOGY :DRDO, Navy Fly TAPAS Drone, Land it on Warship

The TAPAS UAV took off from Chitradurga’s Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) and flew 285 km and landed successfully on INS Subhadra.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully demonstrated the transfer of command and control capabilities of TAPAS unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The TAPAS UAV took off from Chitradurga’s Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) and flew 285 km and landed successfully on INS Subhadra. According to the Navy, the vessel was 148km off the Karwar Naval base. A ground control station and two ship data terminals were installed on INS Subhadra to control the UAV.

The UAV took off at 7.35 am from the ATR and soared to a height of 20,000 feet and flew for three-and-a-half hours non-stop to land on INS Subhadra. “After this test, the UAV flew back to the ATR safely,” said the Navy.

“This test is called C2 — command and control capabilities — to check the ability of the operator to control the drone’s flight, sensors and payloads. C2 capabilities are essential for the safe and effective operations of a drone. This is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone, which has a flight endurance of 24 to 48 hours,” informed Girish Linganna, a Bengaluru-based defence expert.

TAPAS was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and can be used for patrolling and intelligence gathering for all the three forces. These UAVs are considered the Indian version of Predator drones of the United States.

They are equipped with electro optics sensors to capture images and videos both during the day and night, long-range electro optics sensors to take images and videos from long distances that can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions and provide information about enemy movements and activities, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that uses a technique called synthetic aperture to create high-resolution images that can be used in all-weather conditions to obtain ground surface details like terrain features and objects, electronic intelligence, communication intelligence and other features.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani Donates Rs 315 crore to IIT Bombay

Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. The donation marks the golden jubilee of Nilekani’s association with the Institute.

Infosys co-founder and chairman and founding chairman of UIDAI Nandan Nilekani has donated Rs 315 crore to his alma mater – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. With this, Nilekani has so far donated Rs 400 crore to IIT Bombay.

The donation will be instrumental in fostering world-class infrastructure, stimulating research in emerging areas of engineering and technology, and nurturing a deep tech startup ecosystem at IIT Bombay, the institute said.

Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. The donation marks the golden jubilee of Nilekani’s association with the Institute. It also stands as one of the largest donations made by an alumnus in India.

Nilekani said, “IIT Bombay has been a cornerstone in my life, shaping my formative years and laying the foundation for my journey. As I celebrate 50 years of my association with this institution, I am grateful to contribute to its future. This donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is a tribute to the place that has given me so much and a commitment to the students who will shape our world tomorrow.”

MoU signed in B’luru
A Memorandum of Understanding was formally signed on Tuesday in Bengaluru by Nandan Nilekani and IIT Bombay Director Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) : Bengaluru start-up EMBIBE launches AI-powered lab experiments app

The app offers an interactive platform where students can engage with a virtual science lab.

Bengaluru-based start-up EMBIBE, an AI-powered education platform, has launched an app that will help students do science experiments virtually. Called the ‘EMBIBE Lab experiments,’ the app offers an interactive platform where students can engage with a virtual science lab and conduct more than 350 experiments in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

The platform is NEP-aligned and the list of experiments includes all 243 prescribed by CBSE. The app is available free of charge to students across India.

“EMBIBE Lab Experiments has the potential to overcome all limitations of physical laboratories such as cost, accessibility, and availability of equipment,” said Aditi Avasthi, founder and CEO, EMBIBE. “It can truly democratise science education by reaching students across different regions and socio-economic backgrounds. By seamlessly integrating technology with education, we envision a future where students can explore and conduct virtual experiments from the comfort of their homes or classrooms,” she added.

According to a 2014 survey carried out under Unified District Information System on Education (UDISE), more than 75% of Indian schools lacked well-equipped science labs. The start-up believes its latest app would help bridge this gap.

Real-life scenario

EMBIBE Lab Experiments app links every experiment to real-life scenarios through 3D animated videos. The app also offers a DIY experiment feature which allows students to select materials and perform experiments in a 3D virtual lab and a gamified, data-generating laboratory simulation.

On top of it, the app claims to break down 113 complex experiments into two parts facilitating easier understanding. The platform is tailored to CBSE, NCERT, and State board curriculums. It has found takers among schools like Krishna Public School International (Atal Nagar-Nava Raipur), Holy Angel CBSE School (Rettenai, Tamil Nadu), and Solace International High School (Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir), among others.

In regional languages too

The app will also be made available in Hindi and 10 regional languages. It can be downloaded from Play Store and App Store. Founded in 2012, the ed-tech start-up EMBIBE is backed by Reliance Industries, which has invested ₹1,175 crore in it, so far.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: The 02nd Trade &Investment Group (TIWG) G20 Members to Deliberate on Trade, Technology in Bengaluru, May 23-25

After the successful completion of the first Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG) Meeting in Mumbai, the second TIWG under India’s G20 Presidency is scheduled in Bengaluru between May 23 and 25, said a statement from the Union Commerce Ministry.

During the three-day meeting, nearly 75 delegates from G20 countries, invitee countries, and regional and international organisations would participate in deliberations on finding agreed solutions on issues related to international trade and investment.

On Tuesday, a seminar is being organised which would discuss the disruptive role of technology in driving inclusive growth and resilient trade. Som Parkash, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry would deliver a keynote address.

Some 200 delegates from G20 member countries, international organisations, representatives from the technology sector and business community are expected to participate in deliberations on various issues around trade and technology.

Panel discussion

The seminar will also feature two panel discussions: one on how technology is reshaping trade and the other on transformative tools for revolutionising manufacturing and trade. Some of the panelists include Saurabh Chandra, Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group, Alok Nanda, CTO, GE South Asia and CEO GE India Technology Centre, Eske Bo Knudsen Rosenberg, Consul General and Head of Trade and Innovation Centre, Denmark.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)