Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌦️ Today’s weather: Cloudy with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.
🧐 Did you know? Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Bengaluru was completed during the reign of Tipu Sultan in 1791 after his father Hyder Ali commenced its construction within the walls of the Bangalore Fort.
🚗 Autonomous vehicle zPod introduced
Bengaluru-based start-up, Minus Zero, introduces zPod, claimed to be India’s autonomous vehicle, to exhibit its advanced self-driving technology.
Tech provider: Minus Zero, an AI firm, positions itself as a tech provider rather than an automotive manufacturer, offering its autonomous driving technology to enhance other manufacturers’ ADAS suite. The zPod serves as a technological demonstration of their vision to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce accidents, and mitigate associated injuries and fatalities. Unlike conventional autonomous vehicles, the zPod utilizes six cameras instead of LIDAR for obstacle detection.
- Minus Zero utilizes its proprietary Nature Inspired AI (NIA) for autonomous driving, aiming to overcome challenges such as expensive hardware, data requirements, and complex traffic conditions.
- The zPod, a four-seater electric vehicle, features seats facing each other and lacks conventional controls, relying entirely on AI for driving decisions.
Limited usage: Minus Zero intends to limit the zPod’s use to in-campus mobility within a geo-fenced area, excluding public roads, in locations such as educational campuses, residential areas, and tech parks.
- While Minus Zero has no plans for zPod production, it serves as an inspiration for automakers to explore alternative, non-driver-centric vehicle designs.
🚄 Bengaluru to Chennai in two hours?
The travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai may soon be reduced to two hours with the introduction of a new semi-high-speed broad gauge rail line, a significant decrease from the current duration of 4.25 to 6.30 hours.
Survey details: The Southern Railway has initiated a final location survey for this new line, which aims for a design speed of 220 kmph and operational speed of 200 kmph. The survey, allocated ₹8.3 crore by the rail ministry, includes a range of tasks such as aerial LiDAR surveys, alignment studies, traffic studies, and the creation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR).
- The rail line’s alignment remains undisclosed, but the current Bengaluru-Chennai route spans approximately 350 km.
- The fastest train currently on this route, the Vande Bharat Express, operates at an average speed of 81 kmph, taking 4 hours and 25 minutes to complete the journey.
Prior proposals: In 2016, the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group suggested upgrading the existing track to operate trains at 160 kmph, and in 2018, the German government proposed a bullet train project. However, these proposals remained unimplemented.
- Notably, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is also planning a high-speed rail project connecting Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mysuru.
✈️ Virgin Atlantic Connects Bengaluru-London
British airline Virgin Atlantic is set to connect Bengaluru to London with daily direct flights from March 31, 2024.
The deets: The airline will operate daily flights from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to London’s Heathrow using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The service will feature 31 first-class, 35 business-class, and 192 economy-class seats. Ticket sales are expected to commence on June 14.
- This new service will be Virgin Atlantic’s fourth daily service to India.
- The airline also plans to introduce cargo operations between Bengaluru and London.
Tell me more? Virgin Atlantic already operates daily flights to London from Mumbai and Delhi since 2019. The expansion into Bengaluru is a strategic move as international travel returns to post-pandemic levels. The airline aims to increase connectivity not only between Bengaluru and the UK but also to key tech hubs in the US, including Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
🗑️ Bengaluru Embraces Waste-Reduction
Bengaluru residents Sahar Mansoor, Mrudula Joshi, and Ram Arora are leading the way in reducing waste and embracing sustainable living.
The practice: Mansoor, a nature enthusiast, lives a zero-waste lifestyle, making her own personal care products and incorporating her values into major events like her wedding. Joshi practices waste reduction by composting organic waste and recycling dry waste, while Arora, a tech professional, composts his wet waste and ensures his dry waste is sent to registered recyclers.
- Mansoor believes in designing waste out of the system and building programs that embody reuse.
- Joshi and Arora have embraced reusable products and minimalism, reducing their environmental impact and saving money.
Ease of lifestyle: According to Arora, Bengaluru has access to mentors and experts who can guide individuals to live a zero-waste lifestyle, by helping with composting, recycling, upcycling, and other waste reduction techniques.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever been on a double-decker bus?
- Yes, I have been on a double-decker bus.
- No, I haven’t been on a double-decker bus.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which medieval ruler do you like the most?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Awareness of animal rights violations raised by vegans.
- A textbook revision committee would be formed soon by the government.
- Women may shift from Namma Metro and private vehicles to buses.
- IISc Bengaluru is the best university, as per NIRF 2023.
- The Karnataka government arranged flight tickets for stranded folk artists in Odisha.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I can pinpoint Bengaluru on the map: 70.0% 🏆
- I need help finding Bengaluru on the map: 30.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What do you think is the city’s signature food?
Sriranga: “Idli & Dose”
Arushi: “Ghee Karam Idly at the Darshinis”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!