Category: Transport

INTERNATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Bengaluru-based Drone Startup ‘Squadrone Infra & Mining’ Deployed in Indonesia’s Islands to Explore Critical Minerals

Its advanced system enables the mapping of shallow and deep-seated virgin mineral deposits, reaching depths of up to 1,500 metres below the ground.

City-based drone startup Squadrone Infra and Mining Pvt. Ltd. has deployed drone-based geophysical surveys for prospecting and exploration of nickel, gold, bauxite, coal and other critical minerals at Indonesia’s Kalimantan and Sulawesi Islands.

The startup has deployed MagArrow and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technologies, a UAV-enabled drone-based solution equipped with a non-radioactive laser-pumped cesium vapor total field scalar magnetometer.

This advanced system enables the mapping of shallow and deep-seated virgin mineral deposits, reaching depths of up to 1,000 to 1,500 m below ground level.

Geologists, geophysicists, and researchers can now conduct comprehensive studies of the earth’s strata for new and greenfield mineral discoveries in previously inaccessible areas, significantly enhancing efficiency and accuracy. The GPR adds great value to nickel, gold, bauxite and coal prospecting, with high precision.

Kalimantan Island, known for its unique and diverse ecosystems, poses significant challenges to traditional mining surveys due to its remote and difficult-to-access terrain.

With the introduction of MagArrow and GPR, Squadrone offers a revolutionary solution that allows for geophysical surveying without adversely affecting the ecology of the region and minimising the need for human intervention. This technology marks a significant milestone in the field of mineral exploration in such environmentally sensitive areas.

Squadrone Infra and Mining with its expansion into Indonesia and plans to enter other regions of Southeast Asia and Africa, is set to contribute significantly to Net Zero operations and the sustainable development of the global mining industry.

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)

KARNATAKA: AIR TRANSPORT / FLYING TAXIS: Mysuru, Bengaluru Tech firms join Hands with Flying Taxi start-up ePlane to make Flying Electric Vehicles

ePlane is an IIT-Madras incubated start-up that aspires to build a compact flying taxi. The MoU aims at developing UAVs and flying electric vehicles.

Mysuru-based Vinyas Innovative Technologies and Bengaluru-based Printalytix have signed an MoU with an IIT-Madras incubated ePlane company, which specialises in building compact flying electric taxis and drone systems, for developing UAVs and flying electric vehicles.

Vinyas and Printalytix signed the MoU with ePlane in Mysuru on May 18.

Vinyas will be manufacturing various kinds of drones and UAVs as well as collaborating on marketing and servicing the same.

Printalytix will be providing mechanical design and manufacturing support for the production of UAVs and electric flying taxis.

The three companies aim to indigenise, manufacture, assemble, and integrate advanced drone systems at Vinyas’ production facility in Mysuru by leveraging ePlane’s technology and manufacturing know-how. Vinyas, reinforced by e-Plane, will provide after-market services, and product life-cycle support to its customers worldwide.

The MoU involves manufacturing of small and large UAVs as well as electric flying taxis that use eVTOL technology designed to fulfil requirements starting from land security and surveillance, delivery, rail inspections and monitoring, mapping, to emergency response in urban environments.

The MoU covers the work scope of electronics design and development, PCB assembly, system integration and testing of these UAVs and drone components. The UAVs of ePlane have successfully demonstrated their product capabilities in terms of range, battery life and unique design.

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, founder and CEO of ePlane, said, “We aim to unlock the full potential of indigenisation, design, engineering and manufacturing that would contribute to the evolving advanced air mobility market and the Make-in-India scheme as well.”

Narendra Narayanan, founder and Managing Director of Vinyas Innovative Technologies, said, “The MoU aims to bring the best of drone technology solutions to many strategic entities. The partnership is a no-brain drainer, as our joint vision has matched up perfectly.”

According to Kiran and Abhishek, who represent Printalytix: “We witness the growing demand and need for drones in various sectors while the supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem in India are catching up to be able to support this growth.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: RURAL INNOVATION / AGRICULTURE : Siddapur Farmer Vidyadhar Bhat Designs Wonder Modified Vehicle that carries 300 kilos of load

 Though the vehicle looks like a scooter, it does work of an autorickshaw. It is also quite useful for the farmers.

A farmer who was tired of carrying things on his shoulders has designed this vehicle, which is developed from his old TVS moped.

The farmer who has designed this unique vehicle is none other than Vidhyadhar Bhat, a resident of Unchalli of Siddapur taluk of the district.

An old TVS moped that was lying in Vidhyadhar Bhat’s house was getting rusted. So Bhat thought of using it as a cart vehicle and a sketch was made in cooperation with local engineer Prashanth. Later, they developed a three-wheeler vehicle having tyres of a scooty and an auto.

The vehicle has the engine of CT 100 and has brakes of an Omni vehicle. A  container that is fitted on the backside can carry up to 300 kilos of load. The vehicle has a fan and an intercooler as well.

The vehicle gives a mileage of 20 km to a litre if the load is full. Otherwise it can give up to 30 to 35 kilometers to a litre. On the whole, this wonder vehicle is farmer-friendly. This vehicle allows the farmer to finish off his work without depending much on labourers for farm-related work.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SHIPPING & TRANSPORT: The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Bags 03rd Prize from Shipping Ministry for Overall Performance among Major Ports

The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) secured the third prize in the overall performance for 2022-23 among the major ports in the country.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State Shripad Y. Naik presented the prize to NMPA chairman A.V. Ramana at the launch of Harit Sagar, the Green Port Guidelines launching programme in New Delhi on Wednesday, said a release.

The port handled 41.42 million tonnes of traffic, a 5.4% growth compared to 39.3 million tonnes in 2021-22. The container traffic grew by 8.55%, from 1.5 lakh TEUs to 1.65 lakh TEUs during the period, while the ship turnaround time was reduced to 43.29 hours from 45.95 hours.

The average output per berth per day rose from 16,465 tonnes to 18,489 tonnes per berth, with an incremental operating ratio of 38.44 that is on par with private ports in the country.

Awards were conferred for the overall performance on operational and financial parameters during 2022-23 to generate healthy competition among major ports.

Harit Sagar Guidelines – 2023 envisages ecosystem dynamics in port development, operation and maintenance while aligning with ’Working with Nature’ concept and minimising impact on biotic components of harbor ecosystem.

It lays emphasis on use of clean/green energy in port operation, developing port capabilities for storage, handling and bunkering greener fuels, including green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol/ethanol etc.

The NMP has already undertaken various green port initiatives in accordance with the guidelines, including transforming from manual cargo handling to mechanised cargo handling system, 100% solarisation, rainwater harvesting, maintaining 33% of total land area as green, commissioning electric vehicles to reduce carbon emission, moving from conventional to LED lighting system, sewage treatment plant, and vermi-composting for waste management etc.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORD: TRANSPORT / RAILWAYS: Hubballi Railway Station in Karnataka enters Guinness records for World’s Longest Railway Platform

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the longest railway platform in the world at Hubballi railway station in Karnataka.

The Hubballi railway station in Karnataka has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest railway platform in the world. The 1,507 metre long platform was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

Built at a cost of about Rs 20 crore, the platform is part of the remodelling of the Hubballi yard and aimed at addressing the growing need of more trains in the future in the Hubballi-Dharwad region of Karnataka.

The Hubballi railway station  is officially called Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Station.
The platform enables dispatch or reception of two trains from two directions at the same time, Southern Railways said.

The Guinness World Records said it verified the length of the platform on January 12.

PM Modi on Sunday also launched the electrification of Hosapete-Hubballi-Tinaighat section and the upgradation of Hosapete station, for boosting connectivity in the region.

Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crore, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction. The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments, officials said.

source/content: moneycontrol.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: TRANSPORT / GREEN: Zypp Electric Deploys 2,000 Electric Scooters in Bengaluru, aims to deploy 8,000 more in next 2 months

EV startup Zypp Electric has announced the deployment of 2,000 electric scooters in Bengaluru. It has also onboarded 2000 delivery executives to facilitate efficient last-mile delivery, and boost employment opportunities in the gig economy. Zypp aims to integrate 5000+ more riders with its service in the coming 2 months, and add 8,000 additional electric scooters to its fleet in the city. Zypp further plans to install 100+ Gorogro battery swapping stations at its Bengaluru hubs in the next 12-18 months.

Zypp presently manages deliveries and ride-sharing services for many quick ecommerce service providers like Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart, Dunzo, and Blinkit.

Speaking about the deployment, Rashi Agarwal, CBO and Co-founder, Zypp Electric, said, “We are thrilled to announce our latest endeavour – the deployment of 2,000 electric scooters in Bengaluru. Our aim is to provide companies with affordable and sustainable last mile logistics solutions. Following our successful operations in Delhi NCR, we see a strategic opportunity to expand our services in this city. By increasing our electric fleet, Zypp Electric is taking a step forward in making green logistics accessible to businesses. This initiative will not only benefit our partners in reducing costs but also create more job opportunities in the gig economy. We are confident that our electric scooters will become a vital component of the logistics infrastructure in Bengaluru and are committed to serving the city’s businesses.”

As part of its larger plan to extend services to 30 cities in India and expand its fleet size to 2 lakh e-scooters by 2025, Zypp Electric has announced the deployment of these electric scooters. Recently, Zypp Electric has also raised $25Mn in Series B led by Gogoro and a few other new and existing investors. The funding round consisted of both equity and debt funding, with a $20Mn equity round and $5Mn debt allocated for fleet expansion from global impact fund IIX, in addition to a prominent national bank. This also marked the first instance of global impact funds and Indian banks participating in EV Debt for any startup or fleet operator in the country.

Zypp Electric claims to have completed 15 million deliveries, saving 33Mn KG Co2. According to Zypp, it has 10,000 gig workers.

source/content: economictimes.indiatimes.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / SHIPPING: First Mainline Container Vessels calls at New Mangalore Port post operations of its new Dedicated Container Terminal

“MV HONG AN”, the first direct mainline vessel, called at the New Mangalore Port on Thursday, after the port operationalised its dedicated container terminal.

The regular service vessel will operate between the westbound rotation of Chittagong- Colombo-Mangalore-Nhava Sheva-Mundra; and the eastbound leg to Jebel Ali-Khalifa Port, said a release. It is the only direct service for Indian exporters to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi with seamless connections to the USA, Europe, South East Asia, and Africa.

NMP Authority chairman A.V. Ramana inaugurated the first Direct Mainline Service from New Mangalore Port by flagging off the container discharging from the vessel in presence of Sagar Dange, Head India Operations CMA-CGM; Ramanathan, Vice -President and Unit Head, JSW Mangalore Coal and Container Terminals, officers from NMPA, official’s from JSW-MCTPL, CMA-CGM, and Port Users.

The mainline service got introduced primarily as a result of the use of various productivity measures to free up berth time for new services through the establishment of a fixed window berthing policy and the extension of additional inducements in the form of commercial rebates on vessel-related costs.

Beneficial to shippers

The service will be a gamechanger in how shippers take their exports to the global markets in the fastest and most efficient ways. Besides leading to more sea route options, the service can seamlessly connect cargoes for air transfers from Dubai to destinations in Europe and the USA. Transit time gets reduced to half, from the earlier 13-15 days to Jebel to seven days.

With trans-shipment being avoided, the trade gets better ocean freight costs for their shipments. It also offers scope for develop time-sensitive commodities, including pharma, vegetable, fruits etc., which require direct sailing. The service gives major boost to exports from Karnataka, particularly agricultural products.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: EDUCATION / DRONES & REMOTE PILOTS: Centre of Excellence for Drone Education and Remote Pilot Training to come up at Chickballapur

This institute will serve as a platform where students learn the fundamentals of drones, drone mapping, GIS, data processing, and a certified remote pilot training course.

Aereo, an end-to-end drone solutions startup, has partnered with SJC Institute of Technology to open a centre of excellence in Chickballapur.

This institute will serve as a platform where students learn the fundamentals of drones, drone mapping, GIS, data processing, and a certified remote pilot training course.

This institute is the first-of-its-kind for advancing holistic drone education in India alongside fundamental remote pilot training.

The centre will provide exposure to students and help them build a career in India’s booming drone industry. The courses will be taught by highly experienced industry experts, said Aereo, which was founded in 2013 in IIT Kanpur.

“This centre of excellence will lay the groundwork for drone education in the country. We are extremely grateful to SJCIT for their collaboration and look forward to providing top-notch drone education to the youth of Karnataka. Lack of high-skilled workforce is a primary bottleneck for the Indian drone industry. By imparting holistic drone education along with remote pilot training, we aim to create thousands of new drone-related jobs and pave the way for R&D in indigenous drone technology. It will equip students with real-world experience and skills required to forge a lucrative career in the Indian drone industry,” said Vipul Singh, co-founder, and CEO of Aereo.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: GREEN ENERGY /SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: IISc Supercapacitor to replace Batteries in EVs

The supercapacitor is fully functional and can be deployed in energy-storage devices like electric car batteries or any miniaturised system by on-chip integration.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a new type of supercapacitor that can replace batteries in streetlights, electric cars and medical devices.

The supercapacitor, developed by researchers from IISc’s Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), is different from others, as it is smaller or ‘ultra-micro’, but capable of storing larger amounts of energy. Hence, the supercapacitor can be easier to use in smaller electronic devices, eliminating the need for batteries, while ensuring that the device stays charged for a longer time.

“Most of these devices are currently powered by batteries. However, over time, these batteries lose their ability to store charge and therefore have a limited shelf-life. Capacitors, on the other hand, can store an electrical charge for much longer, by their design. Supercapacitors, on the other hand, combine the best of both batteries and capacitors — they can store and release large amounts of energy, and are therefore highly sought-after for next-generation electronic devices,” the researchers said.

Abha Misra, an IAP professor and a corresponding study author, said the supercapacitor used Field Effect Transistors (FETs) instead of metallic electrodes, which are more commonly used, as charge collectors. “Using FET as an electrode for supercapacitors is something new for tuning charge in a capacitor,” she said.

During their tests, they found that the ultra-micro supercapacitor, due to the materials used, was able to increase capacitance (ability to store energy as electricity within the device) to 3,000 per cent. This was compared to a regular supercapacitor, which showed only an 18 per cent increase. The key was the use of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and graphene in increasing the mobility of electrons within the supercapacitor.

“In future, we are planning to explore if replacing MoS2 with other materials can increase the capacitance of the supercapacitor even more. The supercapacitor is fully functional and can be deployed in energy-storage devices like electric car batteries or any miniaturised system by on-chip integration. We are also planning to apply for a patent on the supercapacitor,” they said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)