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Electronics For You
March 2019 Issue
Vol. 51 No. 3
MARKET SURVEY
The Future of Mobility in India
Industry 4.0—enabling innovative processes, digital manufacturing and automation—has the potential to disrupt the industrial value chain and push automotive sector to rethink the way they do business. Moreover, stringent regulations are evolving so rapidly that the automotive sector might need to rethink about their operational aspects to comply with regulatory and other guidelines
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EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT…
RESCUE: How Electronic Detection Can Save Buried and Drowning People
Possibilities of human fatalities in such situations as earthquakes, floods and collapse of infrastructure, among others, has inspired many recent technological advancements in the expanding field of human safety
| EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT…
COMMUNICATION: An Inevitable Need for 5G Convergence to Serve the Massive Thrust of Data
Unlike previous generations of mobile networks, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is expected to fundamentally transform the role that telecommunications technology plays in the society
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SMART WORLD
AUGMENTED REALITY: Modern Businesses Require Modern Solutions
Although upfront investment is high for AR technology, the ROI comes quick through such benefits as higher customer engagement, lower operational errors, higher efficiency and higher productivity. AR also reduces financial expenses while cutting down on training investments, reducing rates of returned orders, reducing risk of product damage during demonstrations and so on
| DESIGN
SECURITY: Making Industrial Embedded Systems More Secure for Cloud and IoT Applications
While the benefits of Industry 4.0 are aplenty, the risks cannot be ignored. There are practices one can take to minimise such risks. This article takes a look at some such solutions
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SOFTWARE
Handy Apps To Help Organise Your Day
Scan the QR codes to download the apps based on the operating system of your device
| DO-IT-YOURSELF
Music-Operated RGB LED
Here, RGB LED light intensity and colour change with the rhythm and volume of music. It is a great idea to have such a lighting system at home, gym or music school. This circuit is based on ATmega8A microcontroller (MCU)
Download source code
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SMART WORLD
GREEN TECH: Rohit Bansal, founder, Purelogic Labs India: “People in the country do not have in-depth knowledge about the various types of air pollutants”
Air quality has become a matter of concern in urban Indian cities, like Kolkata and New Delhi, that suffer from hazardously high air quality index (AQI) consistently. To address this problem, administrations and consumers alike need to stay updated about the air conditions in real time. Rohit Bansal, founder, Purelogic Labs India, talks to Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You about how national air quality monitors, like their AQI India platform, can help us take the first step towards better health
| STARTUP ZONE
In-Car Sensor to Prevent Drunken Driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous. This risky yet common habit needs to be avoided completely. It can be life-threatening, not only for the driver but also for the co-passengers and bystanders on the road. On-duty police officers keep a vigilant eye to detect intoxicated drivers. However, it is not possible for them to be present everywhere. It is the primary responsibility of car-owners to ensure they are in a condition to drive when taking the wheels. To help them take this responsibility and be sure first-hand, Canada-based Sensor Diagnostics has come up with a solution called Sober Steering
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STARTUP ZONE
An IoT Solution to Keep Tyre Failure at Bay
Investments in transportation are often a necessity for large businesses, educational institutions and organisations. A major concern during travel is the wearing out of tyres in the middle of the road, which can cause unprecedented delays, unwanted hassles and some heavy expenses. Tyre changes for a single commercial vehicle can add up to Rs 200,000 per year. On top of that, changing tyres on the road can be strenuous. While there are many smart solutions available for businesses to keep a tab on their vehicles’ engine health and fuel system, businesses require platforms to stay aware about tyre healths, too. Maharashtra-based startup Tyre Express has taken up this challenge to turn the tables
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A Smart Water Purifier at Zero Purchase Cost
Quality of drinking water is one of those things that we simply cannot afford to compromise—not one bit. Water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, hepatitis, typhoid and cholera, or illnesses due to contaminants like arsenic or lead, can cause large-scale health hazards. Reports suggest that, in India, more than 10,000 lives fell victim to such diseases from 2013 to 2017. To monitor water quality and reduce contamination, smart sensor-based technologies and filters are being used, which often lead to high capital costs for consumers
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STARTUP ZONE
Digital Dairy Farming, an Unexplored Land of Infinite Possibilities
The dairy industry contributes around four per cent to India’s GDP, enjoying equal output value with rice and wheat. Still, government involvement is lacking to modernise and stabilise this sector. Farmers are losing money due to non-efficient dairy farming, comparatively weak genetics of Indian cattle, high input cost and non-data-oriented farming. These bottlenecks are preventing Indian farmers to derive maximum value from their farms and dairy businesses
| STARTUP ZONE
A Personal Translator On-The-Go
We are often unable to communicate well with local people while visiting foreign countries, or even some Indian states, mainly because of not knowing their language. A substantial population in the world, and even India, does not speak English. Sure, we have Google Translate, but it is not the optimal solution for fluent verbal communication. Travis, a Dutch-based startup, has come up with an intelligent wireless translator to close this language barrier
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DO-IT-YOURSELF
Low-Cost Ambient-Light-Controlled LED Night Lamp
This lamp uses a 1.5W LED module operated on a 12V DC power supply. Here, an L14F1 phototransistor works as a sensor. When there is sufficient light falling on the sensor, LED remains off; but when there is dim or no light, LED automatically starts glowing
| REGULARS
Feedback: Your Suggestions
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REGULARS
Q&A: Things You Wanted to Know!
| REGULARS
New Products
• Components
• Test & Measurement
• Internet of Things
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EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT…
AUTOMOTIVE: How Intelligent Traffic Management Systems Enable Smarter Use of Transport Networks
Ever-increasing traffic flow leads to traffic congestions and jams, giving rise to increase
in the cost of transportation as well as affecting the routine lives of people. An intelligent traffic management system enables users to be better informed and to make safer,
more coordinated, efficient and smarter use of transport networks
| DESIGN
INNOVATION: How Open Source Technologies Accelerate Innovation
Open source hardware and software are the new versions of a phenomenon that has been with us since the first wandering bards added their own words to the melody of a well-loved folk tune. Open source tools feed the dreams of amateurs and entrepreneurs alike from a deep well of well-documented designs, which are constantly being refined by the communities that use them. A growing number of traditional businesses and corporations understand that embracing them as an integral part of their business strategy may be their best hope for surviving the disruption and disintermediation that open source technologies often bring to tightly-held markets
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INTERVIEW
Ganesh Jivani, managing director, Matrix Comsec: “Artificial intelligence, deep learning and machine vision are... heralding a new age of security solutions”
As scale and complexity of businesses increase, enterprises will have to move towards smarter, centralised and automated surveillance, access control and attendance management solutions. But how are these devices becoming smarter and technically-advanced? Ganesh Jivani, managing director, Matrix Comsec, explains to Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You
| eSTYLE
BUYERS' GUIDE: The Right Dashcam for Your Car
A new digital transformation is coming soon to your car. Most of the mirrors will either be replaced or be upgraded with digital camera systems. Carmakers are already partnering with electronics companies to make this shift happen. Digital dashboard cameras, or dashcams, are already well-known to car owners. Not only do these devices give a clear picture of the surroundings, some also come equipped with smart features to keep you and your car(s) safe
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DO-IT-YOURSELF
Magnetic Walking Stick for the Visually-Impaired
A white cane is used by the blind or the visually-impaired to scan the surroundings for obstacles and orientation marks, and find the correct path. The visually-impaired using a white cane still need a sighted guide when they need to walk down the street or use the stairs. This proposed project will help them reach their destination without much dependency on a sighted guide. It uses magnetic reed switches mounted on a specially-designed walking stick. The complete system requires magnetic tracks designed for the visually-impaired
| DO-IT-YOURSELF
Designing Android App for Communication with Bluetooth Module
This article is about designing an Android app for communication with HC-05 Bluetooth module using MIT App Inventor (open source), a block-based programming tool. MIT App Inventor is used to create apps without any text-based programming language or bulky software in your PC. Arduino Uno board along with a Bluetooth module and an LED is used for testing the app
Download source code
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REGULARS
Tech News: Technology Updates
• A robot that can imagine itself
• First ionically-cooled wireless charger demonstrated at CES 2019
• 3D-printed cube dials into energy harvesting
• Flags that can generate energy from wind and sun
• AI Pictionary game that lets humans and AI play together
• Smart mattress that changes its temperature to wake up the user
• A pen that can wash clothes in 30 seconds
• Frankfurt airport working on flying taxis
| SMART WORLD
AUTOMATION: Vivekanand, country manager - India and SAARC, GreyOrange: “Automation solutions... cut down loss of time, consequently improving productivity and efficiency of operations”
Leading logistics businesses in India are banking on automation to ramp up their productivity while reducing operational costs. Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You speaks with Vivekanand, country manager - India and SAARC, GreyOrange, to understand the appropriate use case of automated solutions
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INTERVIEW
Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, director, IIT-Jodhpur: “We need to create customised sensors, readout circuitry and other components domestically”
The electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) industry and the Internet of Things (IoT) space provide strong opportunities for India to become a global value-added product creation hub. Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You visited CSIR-CEERI Pilani, and caught up with Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, the then-director of CSIR-CEERI, who is now director, IIT-Jodhpur, to discuss how low-cost, fab-production units can kick-start India’s manufacturing ecosystem
| INTERVIEW
Krunal Patel, head of business - India and South Asia, TeamViewer: “AR is shifting the boundaries of remote support”
Applications that complement remote access platforms are moving towards the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR). Krunal Patel, head of business - India and South Asia, TeamViewer, discusses with Deepshikha Shukla of Electronics For You the various benefits of remote access platforms
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SOFTWARE
Open Source Software for Embedded Applications
• MRPT
• OpenSCADA
• V-Rep Player
• Fritzing
• MyHDL
| DO-IT-YOURSELF
Simple Obstacle-Avoiding Robot
Presented here is an obstacle-avoidance robot without microcontroller (MCU). The obstacle-avoidance feature is commonly found in autonomous cars and robots. Most obstacle-avoidance robots are costly and difficult to build because of MCUs. This project is simple and does not use any complex circuitry except a relay driver
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REGULARS
Industry News: Industry Updates
• Government raises investment cap for angel tax concession for startups
• Government schemes to shape India into an export hub: IT secretary
• Cellphone assembly units fear shutdown following proposed duty hike
• BHEL bags 129MW solar project worth Rs 5.65 billion
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TEST & MEASUREMENT: Evaluation of Electric Vehicles for Performance, Safety and EMC
Electric vehicles (EVs) are often seen as the green transport option. As the automotive industry advances in power conversion and battery technologies, it also improves EV testing performance and cost by developing flexible automated power conversion test platforms and regenerative battery test systems
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eSTYLE
SPORTS: Technologies That Have Transformed the Sports Experience
You do not need to watch too many games to know that referees have limited visibility and they too can make mistakes. Technology can change this by helping them make better and more accurate decisions. There are many technologies that can assist a referee on the ground (central referee) or through the third empire who is looking at the game from outside the ground (video-assisted). If you do not think these technologies are necessary, just imagine for a while how hard it is to keep an eye on all players on the ground at one time while closely keeping watch on the ball
| DO-IT-YOURSELF
The IoT-Based Timer Switch for Electric Water Heater
This timer switch for an electric water heater is based on NodeMCU and Blynk IoT cloud solution. An electric water heater is used in bathrooms during the cold season for bathing with hot water. A common problem is that when you wake up in the morning, you need to wait, say 20 minutes, for the electric heater to sufficiently heat the cold water. One possible solution to this problem is using a timer switch
Download source code
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DO-IT-YOURSELF
Multi-Utility Protection System for Agricultural Equipment
This project is used for fire detection and then sending an SMS alert to a cellphone. The design is based on Arduino Uno. The project also includes an LCD and an LED for visual indications, and a buzzer for audio indication. It has sensory systems including flame and temperature sensors along with a relay switching device
Download source code
| EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT…
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: AI In Automotives: The Future is Now!
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have contributed to the growth of the automotive industry through the creation and evolution of such self-driving vehicles as cars, taxis, trucks, buses and bikes. Once driverless technology is fully developed, traffic collisions and accidents caused by human error, aggressive driving and other inconveniences will be substantially reduced
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BUYERS' GUIDE
How to Choose the Right Power Supply for Your Vehicle
One of the topics that car owners love to talk about time and again is their vehicle’s performance data. This article provides a guide on how to choose the right power supply for your design, starting with accurate DC/DC converter measurements
| DESIGN
MOBILITY: TECH FOCUS: Industry 4.0 Solutions for New-Age Railways and Airways
Through automated manufacturing, the railway and airway sectors will realise efficiency, capacity and cost benefits of Industry 4.0
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DESIGN
MINING: POWER ELECTRONICS: Setting New Standards for Mining
Mining is the process of extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. Power electronics can play a great role in the modernisation of the mining industry
| eSTYLE
FIRST LOOK: Some New Gadgets
• Smart LED TV
• Wireless smart keyboard
• Bluetooth speaker
• Laptop
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• Mini projector
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Next
Issue...
AI
AI in Healthcare Industry
T&M
Medical Applications
Tech Focus
Medical Electronics
Market Survey
Medical Electronics
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