Positive Reads

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Sea Lab's Innovative Design: Empowering Blind Students Through Sensory Architecture!

Sea Lab's Blind School is a unique and one-of-a-kind school for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Gandhinagar. It is a meticulously designed haven for children from remote parts of Gujarat. Initially limited by space, the school transformed with a new academic building featuring ten unique classrooms surrounding a central courtyard. This innovative layout aids sensory navigation, enabling students to map the premises through sound, smell and touch. What truly sets this institution apart is its ingenious design that caters to multiple senses, enabling seamless navigation and improving the learning experience for its students: Sight: Elements such as contrasting colors, skylights, and varying light intensities assist those with low vision in distinguishing different spaces, while indirect and filtered lighting minimizes direct sunlight exposure. Hearing: By employing varied heights and widths in corridors and classrooms, the architecture creates distinct soundscapes, aiding students in identifying specific areas by sound cues. Smell: Aromatic plants and trees strategically placed in courtyards enrich the sensory experience, aiding navigation through scents. Touch: The clever use of different textures in flooring and wall finishes, from rough to smooth surfaces, serves as tactile guides for students, helping them navigate and orient themselves within the school's premises. The flooring predominantly utilizes Kota stone, employing rough surfaces at specific entry points to signify classroom entrances, while smooth surfaces guide through common areas. Walls feature diverse plaster textures, facilitating identification of different sides of corridors and spaces. Sea Lab's innovative design approach not only caters to the physical infrastructure needs but also integrates sensory elements. This transforms the school into a haven of learning, empowerment, and inclusivity for visually impaired students striving for a brighter future. 

2 Jan 2024

Positive Reads

Why Do We Not Remember Anything From Our Childhood

Childhood is considered as the foundation of our lives, where we develop our basic habits and attitudes. However, many of us do not remember anything from our childhood, despite being told about our early experiences by our family and friends. The reason for this phenomenon is due to the workings of our brain and how it processes memories.   Memory is a complex process, where our brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. The formation of memories in childhood is different from adulthood as the brain is still developing and lacks the capacity to store long-term memories. Most childhood memories are stored in the brain's sensory cortex, which is responsible for processing sensory information. However, as we grow older, this information is gradually forgotten and replaced by new experiences.   Moreover, the type of memories that are stored in childhood is often fragmented and lacks detail. Childhood memories are typically formed through experiences, such as playing with friends, having a picnic, or going to the park. These memories are stored in our brain as snapshots, which are not linked to specific dates or events, making it difficult to retrieve them.   In conclusion, the reason why we do not remember anything from our childhood is because of the limitations of our brain and how it processes memories. As we grow older, childhood memories are gradually forgotten and replaced by new experiences. Additionally, childhood memories are often fragmented and lack detail, making it challenging to retrieve them. Nevertheless, childhood memories play an important role in shaping our personality and worldview, which is why it is important to hold onto them.  

3 Feb 2023

Positive Reads

Star Citizens

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Revolutionary Sensor Developed by Indian Scientist to Detect Spoiled Food and Improve Safety

An Indian scientist has developed a new, inexpensive sensor that can detect spoiled food and prevent food waste. Dr. Rashmi Madhuri from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna has created a tiny sensor that can be attached to food packaging to monitor the freshness of the product. The sensor works by detecting the gases emitted by spoiled food, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, and sends an alert to the user's smartphone when it detects the presence of these gases. This allows consumers to quickly and easily determine whether or not their food is safe to eat, reducing the amount of food waste and promoting food safety. The sensor is also cost-effective that makes it an attractive option for use in developing countries and other areas where access to food safety technologies is limited. The development of this new sensor is a significant breakthrough in the fight against food waste and foodborne illness. According to the United Nations, around one-third of all food produced globally is wasted, while millions of people suffer from foodborne illnesses each year. As the world continues to grapple with issues of food waste and food safety, innovative solutions like this are critical for promoting sustainability and ensuring that everyone has access to safe and nutritious food. Dr. Madhuri's sensor is a promising step forward in this effort and has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of people around the world.

24 Mar 2023

Star Citizens

Meet the Youngster Who Developed a Game-Changing Agro-Farming System

In today’s world, where technology is advancing at a rapid pace, it is important to use it for the betterment of society. And this is exactly what Uday Durga Prasad, a 21-year-old youngster from a small village in Srikakulam district, has done. Farmers in his village suffered as they didn't have the knowledge about the availability of technology and this drove him to develop an agro-farming sensor system that can detect the temperature, humidity, and temperature of the soil and automatically water it accordingly. Uday’s project is a game-changer for farmers in his region who have been struggling to keep up with the changing times. His system is designed to track the water requirements for crops based on climatic factors and soil parameters. By using Digital Temperature and Humidity (DHT) level sensors, Uday’s system identifies temperature and humidity and regulates pressure aptitude with BMP280 sensor and moisture sensor to supply only the required amount of water to the crops. According to Uday, the Internet of Things' Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) connected all sensors. The solid test is carried out on a field to gauge soil characteristics including fertility rate, nutrients, water absorption capacity, crop adaptability, and others. Uday’s team is currently working on making the system cost-effective and user-friendly so that all farmers can benefit from it. It is a perfect example of how technology can be harnessed for the greater good.  Uday’s project has the potential to revolutionize the agricultural sector, not only in his region but across the world. With the help of his project, farmers can now monitor their crops’ growth and identify problems at an early stage, thereby increasing their yield and profits. It is inspiring to see young minds like Uday’s using their knowledge and skills to create solutions that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Uday’s project is proof that even the smallest of ideas can have a significant impact on society if executed correctly.

23 Mar 2023

Star Citizens

Good News

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The Indian Coast Guard Gets a Boost With the Induction of This Advanced Super Machine

An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron was commissioned by D G V S Pathania at ICG Air Station, Chennai on November 30, providing a significant boost to further reinforce the Coast Guard Region East. The helicopter will give the Indian Coast Guard a much-needed boost in the security-sensitive waters around Tamil Nadu and the Andhra region. The unique thing about this helicopter is that it can transform from an offensive platform with a powerful machine gun to a benign one that is carrying an intensive care unit to assist in the transport of critically ill patients. One thing that makes us proud is the fact that this super-advanced machine with state-of-the-art features has been indigenously manufactured. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) company manufactures the ALH Mk-III helicopters, which are equipped with cutting-edge technology such as advanced radar and electro-optical sensors, Shakti engines, high-intensity searchlights, and advanced communication systems. With the help of these functions, the helicopter can operate from ships during the day and at night, conducting maritime surveillance and long-range search and rescue missions. A total of 16 ALH Mk-III planes have been gradually added to the Indian Coast Guard and four of them are currently stationed in Chennai. The commissioning of this cutting-edge aircraft is a sign of the helicopter manufacturing industry's breakthrough toward self-reliance

2 Dec 2022

Good News

India eyes Israeli tech for precision agriculture

Israel is well known the world over for its leadership in drip irrigation. It has expertise in precision agriculture and has revolutionized the concept of irrigation by developing a unique artificial intelligence system that enables farmers to know when plants are thirsty thus helping in water conservation. A farm visit had been arranged for PM Narendra Modi during his trip to Israel. Israel is a dry country and its water conservation methods and drip irrigation has been of great help to many countries of the world including India. In this new method, sensors are put on select plants in the field. Data generated from crops is analyzed through sensors and translated into irrigation commands. It interprets the actual water needs of the plants in the fields and sends real-time alerts to farmers. This technology will be of immense help to water-starved regions of Maharashtra (Marathwada), UP, Madhya Pradesh (Bundelkhand) and Rajasthan. Last month, farm visits were organized by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute for international journalists who were given demonstrations on how this technology has been successfully used to grow fruits, flowers and vegetables in farms. Agro Web Lab (AWL) has developed this technology which uses plant, soil and environment sensors to gauge the stress levels in the plant and relays actionable feedback to farmers indicating the best time for applying agricultural inputs, including water, for irrigation. It showed an average increase of 5%-10% in yields and 20%-30% savings in irrigation water.

4 Jul 2017

Good News

Global Inspirations

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Growing Crops on Land Covered With Solar Panels Yield Exciting Results

Many countries are taking steps to adopt renewable sources of energy in response to the adverse effects of climate change that the world is currently facing. Solar energy is gaining popularity especially in countries that receive abundant sunlight. Production of solar energy entails the installation of solar panels over a large area of land for maximum production. That will mean the utilization of land that could otherwise be used for agriculture. To tackle this problem, an initiative to grow plants along and under the solar panels was started which gave desirable and positive results. Agrivoltaics Research Greg Barron-Gafford, an associate professor in the School of Geography and Development and his students used solar photovoltaic, or PV, panels and regional vegetables to create the first agrivoltaics research site at Biosphere 2. The team closely monitored the plants such as tomatoes, peppers, kale and herbs from the stage of their germination throughout the three-month growing season. They regularly monitored incoming light levels, air temperature and relative humidity using sensors. Exciting Results After the study, the team found that the agrovoltaics system was very beneficial for both- plants and the panels. The shade from the PV panels cooled down the temperatures during the day and led to warmer nighttime temperatures. The team found that food crops did better in the shade as they were protected from direct sunlight. The yield was also greater than those plants that were growing in the open under the sky. Another advantage is that the water in the soil under the panels transpired at a slower place, so the plants consumed less water than usual. When panels get heated, their efficiency comes down. Plants growing under panels helped in cooling the temperatures and increasing the efficiency of energy production. The positive results of the above studies will encourage maximum utilization of natural resources such as land for food and energy production.

12 Nov 2019

Global Inspirations