Fighting over Steering Wheel...

Self driving cars, once the exclusive domain of science fiction, are now reality. Google has been working on Self Driving Car Project and tested many prototypes with modified Lexus SUVs and prototype vehicles that are designed from the ground up to be fully self driving.

Google's Self Driving Car Prototype

While Google is all set-up for launching its driverless car technology in market, California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) proposed draft of new rules for autonomous vehicle, which left Google and other staunch supporters of this technology "perplexed". Along with regulation call for safety and performance standards, the rules also call for a licensed human driver, capable of taking over the wheel and pedals in the event of an emergency. That could be problem for Google, whose driverless cars don't use pedals or steering wheels.

Company said, Google wants to transform transportation through its work to develop vehicles that can shuttle people from place to place with the push of button and reduce accidents caused by human errors; Safety is top priority and motivator in Google's driverless cars. In direct response to DMV's proposed regulation, Google executive and robotic-car expert Chris Urmson wrote a blog post Thursday on Medium.com blasting the rules as a step back from progressive 2012 state regulation that allowed for the development of occupant as passenger vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals.

According to some of the Technical Analytics, the rules shouldn't be problem. There are not millions of them on road. And as technology is in prototype stage, additional changes can be made to have steering wheel and pedals again. Also, the other automotive companies like Ford are showing interest in Google's Self Driving Cars, technology will have huge development and popularity in future.

California might be looking at the broader aspect of autonomous cars, beyond just Google and has gone more conservative with requiring an operator. But it is disappointing for technical society that, legislators are limiting the potential of fully Autonomous System. Removing "Driverless" from Driverless cars and doubting the capability to achieve its goal can be slight hold-up for development of Autonomous Technology.

BE DISRUPTIVE or BE DISRUPTED

Have you ever wondered why few well established companies like Nokia, Kodak and other have failed to sustain in market in spite of having a well defined marketing strategy, technological upper hand and a well established reputation. Its not that they missed out something while figuring out their business plan or they missed a key input from the survey they do; it was actually inevitable. The answer to this unforeseen threat heading their way was given by Mr Clayton M Christensen from Harvard Business school in the year 1990. He termed it as "Disruptive Technological change" in one of his book "The Innovator's Dilemma". This book consists of his study of many multinational companies downfall; like IBM, Sears, Digital Equipment Corporation and many more. For example IBM, during its time was a leader in the market of mainframe computing, but some how missed the opportunity to understand the need to enter the minicomputer market, hence loosing a big chunk of  global market.

What is a Disruptive Technology?

As he mentions in his book, there are mainly two types of innovations; sustaining innovation and disruptive/radical innovation. The technology that enters the market with medium scope; i.e. meeting the needs of average range customers and gives a medium level margin initially, is worked upon and made more advanced with time, is called as sustaining innovation.A disruptive technology is introduced in the market with very few features in it, manufactured cheap and gives a low performance; mainly targeting low end customers, who don't need many features and are happy with the minimal performance of it.

                                                

The above graph shows the entry of disruptive technology in the low level market and with due course of time, developments are made in it technologically making it in demand in the upper most level market.

How does it affect the Companies in competition?

Initially, the companies's R&D comes with some out of the box idea/ technology/product plan, then the sales department asks their most closely related customer of the need of this product to them with the intention to see the future scope of the product. The customer due to some reason; either financial constraint or lack of foresight says NO. Hence the company decides to cancel this project.

Meanwhile, some one comes up with a very low standard product, consisting of very less features and at a very low cost manufactured parts. With continuous advancement, they finally end up with a product that mostly every one has and is at a low cost. And at this time, the customer asks what the hell they were doing till now and the company is in no shape to come up with something that can help them to sustain this phase.

To Be continued.....

Modern Medical Science and Ayurveda

Diagnostic, Prognostic fields have enriched with the modern medical science. Varieties of new technology are being developed for betterment of human being. The electronic Aspirin, Needle free diabetes care, Robotics check ups, a valve job with heart, Modern Biopsies and further diagnostics are few examples that shows the strength of human brain. The technologies such as Telemedicine, Webinars are well followed in medical science.

The glory of medical science is increasing day by day but it seems Ayurveda is being practised very little in it. Ayurveda Principle are immortal but the question arises about the nurturing Ayurveda in modern science. Lot of therapies are being followed using Ayurveda, still the potential of Ayurveda is not used up to the excellence. Although researchers suggest at it is possible that some substances in Ayurveda might be developed into effective treatments but the modern Ayurveda is still termed as "Pseudo-scientific". The inspiration of modern medical science is remained only about modern views but there is a need of amplifying  Ayurveda principles justifying the modern research.

The Ayurveda treatment is the holistic approach acting at various levels- physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual levels of the individual following alternative natural therapies using natural items such as water, green diet, fruit diet, herbal medicines. Avoidance of stress and recovery from stress by  techniques such as yoga, meditation, relaxation accepted as essential requirement to healthy life.

We cannot supplement Ayurveda with modern medical science impressively but Ayurveda has to be studied and integrated into modern medical practice in both preventive and therapeutic levels for the better treatment quality.

Maglev Suspension Systems

Shanghai Transrapid

In previous article, we discussed the Maglev technology and principle on which it is working. Here, we will discuss about the different technologies or suspension system used to levitate the train, although the basic concept remains same. Even though Maglev looks like new, futuristic mode of transportation, concept was first proposed about a century ago by Hermann Kemper. First commercial Maglev developed by German company Transrapid International was tested in Shanghai, China, in 2002. Shanghai Transrapid is functional since December 2003, with average speed of 430 Km/h.

Several other countries have started working on Maglev projects. Enough research is going on to improve the technology to levitate the train. Engineers are testing there prototypes of train for commercial use.

Electromagnetic Suspension System (EMS):

Electromagnetic Suspension  (EMS) System

In Germany, the company named, Transrapid International had developed Electromagnetic suspension (EMS) System. In this system, the bottom of the train wraps around a steel guideway. Electromagnets attached to train's undercarriage are directed up towards the guideway, which levitates the train about 1 centimetre above the guideway. The system keeps the train levitated even when it is not moving. The system is provided with emergency battery backup in case of power failure. Other guidance magnets embedded in the train's body keep it stable during the travel. The company also has train in commercial use implementing EMS, known as Transrapid and can reach the speed of 500 Km/h with people onboard.

Electrodynamic Suspension System (EDS):

Electrodynamic Suspension  (EDS) System

US & Japanese engineers are working on a competing version of Maglev trains SCMAGLEV, that uses Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS) System. The key difference is, Japanese trains uses supercooled, superconducting electromagnets, This kind of electromagnets can conduct electricity even after the power supply is shut off. The trains using this technology can levitate nearly 10 centimetres above the guideway. But, the train using EDS, must roll on the rubber tires until it reaches a lift off speed about 100 Km/h. Also, wheels have advantages during power failure of system to slow down the train.

EDS saves the energy by cooling coils, however, also the cryogenic system use to cool the coils can be expensive. Also, passengers with pacemakers would have to be shielded from magnetic fields generated by the superconducting electromagnets.

Inductrack:

Inductrack

Inductrack is a newer type of EDS that used permanent room temperature magnets to produce the magnetic field instead of super-cooled superconducting electromagnets. Inductrack also uses auxiliary wheels to accelerate until it begins to levitate. The permanent magnets made from neodymium- iron boron, which generates intense magnetic field are used. Magnets are arranged in a Halbach array so that, the intensity of magnetic field concentrates above the array to create enough levitating force.