Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌤️ Today’s weather: The same sunny weather and haze.
🧐 Did you know? Victoria Hospital was established in 1900 in response to the Bangalore plague epidemic of 1898. Dr Padmanabhan, a famous doctor from Kerala, became its first health officer for a monthly salary of ₹400.
🚦 Extreme traffic congestion
Research shows that Bengaluru is the world’s second slowest city to drive in.
Story so far: Bengalureans are painfully aware of the transformed significance of long drives in the city. Location technology firm Tom Tom recently confirmed that Bengaluru is India’s slowest city to drive in, with a travel time of around 29 minutes and 10 seconds to cover 10 kilometres in 2022. Globally, it ranks second, preceded by London, where it takes 36 minutes and 20 seconds to cover the same distance.
- The average person spent approximately 260 hours travelling 10 km last year, out of which 134 hours were just spent on congestion. To put things into perspective, people spent 5 days and 14 hours more than they should have while commuting.
- Increased travel time means higher energy consumption. Last year, the city emitted 1,009 kg of carbon dioxide. Out of this, traffic congestion for covering 10 km contributed 275 kgs.
Key takeaways: The new research makes a few observations about the city’s travel patterns. According to the data, Fridays and Saturdays have the highest occurrence of traffic congestion. One may want to avoid travelling on Friday evenings between 6 and 7 pm since it takes about 37 minutes and 20 seconds to cover 10 km.
- The research suggests that if people work from home on Fridays, Bengalureans could save 52 hours of traffic and 201 kg of carbon dioxide from being emitted.
- Alternatively, if people work from home on Fridays, Mondays, and Thursdays, the city can prune out 157 hours of traffic time and 603 kg of carbon dioxide.
Some good news: Second place is better than first, in this case. In 2019, the city secured the highest rank in traffic congestion globally. According to MA Saleem, Bengaluru Special Commissioner (traffic), in 2023, the average travel time has been reduced to 14 minutes in the city centre.
- The personnel has made special arrangements for slothful Fridays too. The traffic police plan on giving the green signal to outgoing traffic more, in comparison to incoming traffic.
🚀 Astronaut safety in Gaganyaan
3D prints ensure astronaut safety during an aborted launch of spacecraft.
Story so far: Ankit Aerospace, a Bengaluru-based manufacturer of parts and components for the global aerospace industry, is innovating astronaut safety. With the Gaganyaan launch in 2024 around the corner, the firm is maximising the manufacture of additives for the mission while reducing the use of titanium for spacecraft. It displayed its 3D-printed grid fins at the Aero Show 2023.
- The company makes large-sized grid fins through Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) technology. The Titanium Alloy components are printed in a large vacuum chamber.
- The input material is a Titanium alloy wire. An electronic beam melts this wire into layered deposits that come together to form the grid fin component on a substrate plate.
Why it matters? The 3D-printing method is an improvement in the past since it minimises the usage of titanium. Grid fins are conventionally made by carving out the structure from a block of metal – not unlike how sculptures are carved out of stones. The new technology, however, reduced the buy-to-fly ratio of grid fins from 21 to 4.
- If there is a mission failure or an aborted launch, separating the crew model from the rest of the spacecraft is one of the topmost priorities. This involves pushing the former upward for 10 to 12 km and descending securely as the grid fin is deployed.
Then and now: Four years ago, ISRO used a problem statement regarding additive manufacturing and asked companies to work on it. Ankit Aerospace took up the mantle and worked on it with help from ISRO. After the grid fins undergo a slew of tests and are approved, the company is likely to continue making more grid fins for the space agency.
🚀 Jetpacks for Armed Forces
A Bengaluru company is in the race to supply the army with a mobility-enhancing jetpack.
Story so far: Absolute Composites, a Bengaluru-based composite materials company, is the only Indian company rushing to supply jetpacks to the armed forces. The Indian Army is looking for jetpack suits that will enhance human mobility while flying in rough terrain. Other, non-Indian companies are in the race too.
- The jetpack is fuelled by diesel, possesses a 10 km range, and can fly for up to 8 minutes. It weighs 40 kg and can carry a load of 80 kg.
- The optimal height for it to fly to is between 10 feet and 20 feet above the ground. However, it can fly at an altitude of 3,000 meters. The suit is appropriate for when there are obstructions on the ground.
Uses: The jetpack suit can be utilised for military and civilian purposes. For military personnel, the suit helps to navigate in mine-infested areas, cross a waterbody quickly, or move from one ship to another. For civilian purposes, it has uses in fire emergencies, medical rescue operations, and floods.
Then and now: The jetpack suit that inspired Absolute Composites was created by Robert Browning, the founder and chief test pilot of Gravity Industries. The former improvised the original suit in terms of materials used with heat. They have added an extra engine, and some design modification has made it possible to carry small quantities of medicines and other supplies in it. Soon, display helmets will be added to the suit.
🧠 Research on age-related disorders
A charitable trust pushes for research on neurodegenerative disorders.
Story so far: The Pratiksha Trust has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Centre for Brain Research (CBR), an autonomous centre on the Institute premises. The trust’s endowment will accelerate breakthrough and translational research on neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly population.
- The Pratiksha Trust has agreed to support CBR in perpetuity with an initial outlay to the tune of ₹450.27 crore over the next decade for its research work.
- In a parallel initiative, the trust will support numerous ambitious, high-risk interdisciplinary extramural projects in brain research of the elderly population.
Why it matters? According to IISc’s director, India’s growing elderly population will reach 32 crores by 2050. This will be paralleled by an increase in dementia and other age-associated neurogenerative disorders. The human brain is an endless mystery that is still not understood fully.
- Through the trust’s support, CBR is well-positioned to take on the mantle of solving this looming healthcare hurdle. The centre is equipped to become a state-of-the-art innovation hub for neuro research.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Catch the Kishan Balaji Collective performing all your favourite Beatles songs at Fandom.
- The Aristocrats will headline the maiden Oddball Festival in Bengaluru on Saturday.
- The Peacock Prince is a play based on Amba’s hurt, humiliation, rage, and resentment.
- Learn more about polyamory with like-minded people at the Indiranagar Social.
- Listen to New Jersey-based, Chennai-born singer Rini lead an international band of musicians.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I enjoy listening to Coke Studio music: 75.0% 🏆
- I don’t enjoy listening to Coke Studio music: 25.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which famous person, presently alive, do you find inspiring, and why?
Vedant: “Ratan Tata”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!