Jallianwala Bagh Day

  Jallianwala Bagh Day


April 10th, 1919

                                              Ninety three years back in history same day as on April 13th 1919 it was a bright sunny morning of ‘Baisakhi’ a holy day in Sikh religion. Over twenty thousand unarmed men, women and children from various parts of Punjab peacefully gathered at “Jallianwala Bagh”, amidst tense political situation. They were to attend a public speech about the highly controversial Rowlatt Act, or as popularly known then and now, as “The Black Act”, which essentially legalised jailing of Indians on any whimsical or baseless suspicion.

                            The soldiers were ordered to fire the area especially where the crowd was thickest. An important point to remember is that “Jallianwala Bagh” is fully walled area with only one gate for entrance which was fully barred by the British Army. People tried to climb the walls but failed. Many people jumped into the well inside the compound to escape bullets. Reliable historian quotes that one hundred and twenty bodies were plucked out of the well alone. The attack lasted for fifteen minutes, until ammunition ran short.

                              A band of 90 soldiers armed with rifles and kukris marched to the park accompanied by two armoured cars on which machine guns were mounted. The vehicles were unable to enter the Bagh through the narrow entrance.

               The troops were commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer who, immediately upon entering the Bagh and without the slightest warning to the crowd to disperse, ordered his troops to open fire, concentrating especially on the areas where the crowd was thickest. The firing started at 17:15 and lasted for about ten to fifteen minutes. The Bagh, or garden, was bounded on all sides by brick walls and buildings and had only five narrow entrances, most of which were kept permanently locked. Since there was only one exit except for the one already manned by the troops, people desperately tried to climb the walls of the park. Some also jumped into a well inside the compound to escape the bullets. A plaque in the monument says that 120 bodies were plucked out of the well alone.

                          After the firing was over, hundreds of people had been killed and thousands had been injured. Official estimates put the figures at 379 killed (337 men, 41 boys and a six week old baby) and 200 injured, though the actual figure was almost certainly much higher (see above); the wounded could not be moved from where they had fallen, as a curfew had been declared. Debate about the actual figures continues to this day.

                               Back in his headquarters Dyer reported to his superiors that he had been confronted by a revolutionary army, and had been obliged to teach a moral lesson to the Punjab.

                             In a telegram sent to Dyer, British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer wrote: "Your action is correct. Lieutenant Governor approves."  But many Englishmen in India, as well as the British press, defended Dyer as the man who had saved British pride and honour. The Morning Post opened a fund for Dyer, and contributions poured in. An American woman donated 100 pounds, adding ‘‘I fear for the British women there now that Dyer has been dismissed.’’

                       O'Dwyer requested that martial law be imposed upon Amritsar and other areas; this was granted by the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, after the massacre.

                      Dyer was messaged to appear before the Hunter Commission, a commission of inquiry into the massacre that was ordered to convene by Secretary of State for India, Edwin Montagu, during late 1919. Dyer said before the commission that he came to know about the meeting at the Jallianwala Bagh at 12:40 hours that day but did not attempt to prevent it. He stated that he had gone to the Bagh with the deliberate intention of opening fire if he found a crowd assembled there.

                                "I think it quite possible that I could have dispersed the crowd without firing but they would have come back again and laughed, and I would have made, what I consider, a fool of myself." — Dyer's response to the Hunter Commission Enquiry.

                      Dyer said he would have used his machine guns if he could have got them into the enclosure, but these were mounted on armoured cars. He said he did not stop the shooting when the crowd began to disperse because he thought it was his duty to keep shooting until the crowd dispersed, and that a little shooting would not do any good. In fact he continued the shooting till the ammunition was almost exhausted.

                            He stated that he did not make any effort to tend to the wounded after the shooting: "Certainly not. It was not my job. Hospitals were open and they could have gone there."

                              The Hunter Commission did not award any penal nor disciplinary action because Dyer's actions were condoned by various superiors (later upheld by the Army Council). However, he was finally found guilty of a mistaken notion of duty and relieved of his command.

                                          Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in the Punjab, during World War I (1914-there was considerable unrest particularly among the Sikhs, first on account of the demolition of a boundary wall of Gurdwara Rikabgang at New Delhi and later because of the activities and trials of the Ghadrites almost all of whom were Sikhs. In India as a whole, too, there had been a spurt in political activity mainly owing to the emergence of two leaders Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869-1948) who after a period of struggle against the British in South Africa, had returned to India in January 1915 and Mrs. Annie Besant (1847-1933), head of the Theosophical Society of India, who established, on 11 April 1916, Home Rule League with autonomy for India as its goal. In December 1916, the Indian National Congress, at its annual session held at Lucknow, passed a resolution asking the British government to issue a proclamation announcing that it is the aim and intention of British policy to confer self government on India at an early date." At the same time India having Contributed significantly to the British war effort had been expecting advancement of her political interests after the conclusion of hostilities. On the British side, the Secretary of State for India E.S Montagu, announced, on 20 August 1917; the policy of His Majesty's Government, with which the Government of India are in complete accord, is that of the increasing association of Indians in every branch of administration and the gradual development of self-governing institutions with a view to the progressive realization of responsible government in India ..." However, the Viceroy of India Lord Chelmsford, appointed, on 10 December 19l7, a Sedition Committee, popularly known as Rowlett Committee after the name of its chairman, to investigate and report on the nature and extent of the criminal conspiracies connected with the revolutionary movement in India, and to advise as to the legislation necessary to deal with them. Based on the recommendations of this committee, two bills, popularly called Rowlett Bills, were published in the Government of India Gazette on 18 January 1919. Mahatma Gandhi decided to organize a satyagrah, non-violent civil disobedience campaign) against the bills. One of the bills became an Act, nevertheless, on 21 March 1919. Call for a countrywide hartal or general strike on 30 March, later postponed to 6 April 1919, was given by Mahatma Gandhi.

April Fool Day

****April Fool Day****

  April Fool's Day is on April 1 each year.                                     




                                              Celebrated on April 1, April Fool’s Day, also known as All Fool’s Day, is a day for tricks, pranks and jokes. Other names include April Noddy Day, Gowkie Day, Huntigowk Day and St All-Fool’s Morn.

                                          By Claire Powell and Dave Collett What is April Fools Day and what are its origins? It is commonly believed that in medieval France, New Year was celebrated on 1 April. Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, changing New Year to 1 January. With no modern communications, news travelled slowly and new ideas were often questioned. Many people did not hear of the change, others chose to ignore it, while some merely forgot. These people were called fools. Invitations to non-existent ‘New Year’ parties were sent and other practical jokes were played. This jesting evolved over time into a tradition of playing pranks on 1 April. 

                                            The custom eventually spread to England and Scotland, and it was later transported across the Atlantic to the American colonies of the English and the French. April Fools Day has now developed into an international festival of fun, with different nationalities celebrating the day in special ways. In France and Italy, if someone plays a trick on you, you are the ‘fish of April’. By the month of April fish have only just hatched and are therefore easy to catch. Children stick paper fish to their friends’ backs and chocolate fish are found in the shops. In Scotland, April Fools Day lasts for two days! The second day is called ‘Taily Day’ and tricks on this day involve the bottom (or the ‘tail’ in informal speech). Often a sign saying ‘kick me’ is stuck onto someone’s back without them knowing. In Spain and Mexico, similar celebrations take place on 28 December. The day is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. 

                                        

Anewala Kal Tumhara Hai…Tumhara Tha…Tumhara Hi Rhega…Us pr Tumhara Hi Haq hai…Socho Kyon? …Kyuki kal 1st APRIL Hai… 

HAPPY FOOLs DAY

 Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by Herod in his search for the baby Jesus. It eventually changed to a lighter commemoration of innocence involving pranks and trickery. Today, Americans and the British play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on 1 April. A common trick is to point to a friend's shoe and say ‘Your shoelace is untied.’ When they look down, they are laughed at. Schoolchildren might tell a friend that school has been cancelled.

                                                   A bag of flour might be balanced on the top of a door so that when the ‘victim’ opens the door, the flour empties over their head. Sometimes the media get involved. Once, a British short film was shown on April Fools Day about spaghetti farmers and how they harvest their crop from spaghetti trees! Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The best trick is the one where everyone laughs, especially the person upon whom the joke has been played. April Fool’s Day, 1989 

                              April Fools' Day, celebrated on April 1st,  is a very peculiar celebration. Although it isn't an official holiday anywhere, it's widely spread around the world with different names and sometimes in different dates. In Brazil, for instance, it's also celebrated in April 1st, but it is called "Dia da Mentira", something like "The Lie's Day", and as the name suggests, people have some fun by not telling the truth to their friends. 

                                   It seems that April Fool's Day had its origin in ancient Roman festival called Hilaria and also in a Medieval festival called the "Feast of Fools".

But the most accepted version for it is related to a change in the calendar. Until the 18th century, many important European cities still celebrated the New Year (or at least the civil or legal New Year) with a week long festival called "Feast of Annunciation", that started on March 25th and ended on April 1st.

                              As things changed, some people who celebrated the beginning of the year in January 1st started making fun of who celebrated it on April 1st. One of the most famous incidents that happened in Europe on April 1^st was when the English newspaper, the Evening Star, announced in March 1746 CE that the following day – April 1^st – that there would be an parade of donkeys in Islington, in England. The people rushed to see these animals and there was a huge crowd. They continued waiting  and when they got tired of waiting, they asked about when the parade would be. They did not find anything, then they knew that they had come to make an exhibition of themselves, as if they were the donkeys! 

                                                  After knowing this reality, let us make a promise to ourselves never to spread stories about Muslims or Islam or history, unless we have clear evidences. Nobody on earth has more proof than we do and we should take responsibility for it. Of course we should not celebrate this day of fools and lies.

                                                    

Fool se, Fool ne, Foolon ki Foolwari me Fool ke sath wish kiya 'You are the most beautifool, Colorfool & wonderfool Amongst all the fools. Happy April Fool's Day

Maharashtra Day

Maharashtra day

  

Celebrated On : 1st May

Significance : State of Maharashtra attained statehood

State was formed in : 1960                                                                   1st May is celebrated as Maharashtra day. On this day the state of Maharashtra attained statehood. Maharashtra is one of the largest states in India, both in terms of population and area. Its booming capital Mumbai, makes it not only one of the most important states, economically, but also a major gateway for overseas visitors.                                  The present state was formed in 1960 when the Marathi and Gujarati linguistic areas of the former Bombay state were separated. Bombay then became the capital of the new state. In independent India, Bombay, the bilingual state, continued as one state consisting of Maharashtra and Gujarat. But this equation of two linguistic units in one state did not work and therefore on 1st May 1960, under the Bombay re-organization Act, Maharashtra and Gujarat were divided into separate states. Maharashtra retained the old capital Bombay. Shiv Sena Government has renamed the capital city Bombay into Mumbai.                                         In Mumbai, the Maharashtra Day celebrations are held at the Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. The governor of the state takes the salute at the ceremonial parade, comprising members of the state reserve police force, Brihanmumbai Commando Force, home guards, civil defence, fire brigade and city police.                         Exactly 160 years back Mumbai city witnessed the first railway trip of India. In those days city was known as Bombay and CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) was known as VT (Victoria Terminus). On 16-April-1853 at 3:35pm Mumbai witnessed this mega milestone of 34 km travel by Railway track.  Unfortunately Mumbai is not the first city to witness the advanced Metro Train travel. It is ok that its late, but good news is here. On 1-May Maharashtra day (Labour day), Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Prithviraj Chavan took a ride in Metro to assure readiness of the project.  Metro Rail will officially be open to the public in September-2013 as per MMRDA. ”Initially when the metro rail is opened for public use, the frequency will be three and a half minutes, which will be reduced to just three minutes during peak hours, later,” the official said.                                        Long Live Maharashtra                             What the people want is very simple.                       They want Maharashtra as good as its promise.                                        Jai Maharashtra                      I love my freedom. I love my Maharashtra                                         “Jai Maharashtra!”              History of Maharashtra is an interesting episode in history of our nation. Although formed as a separate state on May 1st, 1960, Maharashtra is 2000 year old as a cultural identity. Let us quickly see what happened on this land over the last thousand years, which certainly, has culminated into the present we are living today. 2.     The name, Maharashtra first appeared in 7th century in the account of a contemporary Chinese traveler, Huan Tsang. 3.     About 2000 years back, Maharashtra was part of Maurya Empire. After Mauryas , Satvahanas  came , then  Vakatakas.The land kept changing the hands from one dyanasty to another, until the  year 1390 AD which saw the fall of Yadavas of Devgiri. Thereafter, till 16th century, Maharashtra remained under the rule of Muslim Sultanates from southern India. 4.     All this was before Chhatrapati Shivaji came on the scene.In 1659 Shivaji succeeded in killing of famous Adilshahi general Afzal Khan and demoralizing his army. He took advantage of this conflict and laid the foundation of Maratha Kingdom near Pune, which later became the Maratha capital.  In 1674 he assumed the title of “Chhatrapati” at his elaborate coronation. At the time of his death in 1680, nearly whole of the Deccan belonged to his kingdom. 5.     Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of “Maratha Swaraj” which later saw its rapid expansion under the Peshwas, particularly the Bajirao-I and his son Balaji when Maratha frontiers touched Gwalior in the North and Tanjore in the south. 6.     The Marathas however suffered a major setback at Panipat in 1761, when they were defeated by Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. Thereafter, Maratha empire saw its downfall and by 1820s the British had spread their tentacles all over the region. 7.     Under the british rule, Maharashtra was in forefront in the struggle for the independent India. The land gave birth to great leaders like Lokmanya Tilak, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, V.D .Savarkar  who relentlessly waged war against british rule. 8.     The present state of Maharashtra is carved out of the bigger bilingual Bombay state. The then Bombay province consisted of western Maharashtra and Gujarat.  In 1956, the states of India were recognized on a language basis, Maharashtra state might have come into being at this time but for the debate over Mumbai city kept the issue remained unsolved for next few years. However the discontent and unrest in the people provoked large scale agitations. The agitation ultimately paved the way for the formation of Maharashtra, a new state of the Indian union, on May 1, 1960.

International Women's Day

 International Women's Day

8 March 1917

Introduction

                                            Over the years, International Women's Day (IWD) has taken to the streets, sparked off a revolution, met cosily at luncheons and concerts, rubbed shoulders with Premiers, Prime Ministers and Mayors, demonstrated at the doors of newspapers and welfare institutions, occupied empty houses intent on gaining shelter for homeless women and has ushered in reform legislation.

                                           Today we celebrate the equal rights of women progressing over time. Women’s opportunity to excel and make a difference to the workplace has gained significant momentum throughout the decades. We have a lot to celebrate and of course a lot more to do. We need to ensure equality for women continues to gain momentum.

                                             What I am most grateful for is those whom have walked before me and paved the way for women to have the choice and be empowered to make decisions. 

                             I meet hundreds of women each year and am blown away by their ambition, tenacity, passion, depth, intelligence and obvious care and concern for others. These women inspire me every day to get up, keep on going and not let anything stand in my way. If they can do it, so can I!

                                                   8th March is celebrated as International Women’s Day world wide. This is a special day to let women know their importance in ones life and society. She plays the different roles such as sister, daughter, mother and wife in her life. On this day several women that include television personalities, inventors, leading educators, entrepreneurs as well as business, political and community leaders are invited to speak on the events. Seminars, sensitive plays, documentary shows and mass rallies are conducted on this day. On this day women are given gifts by family members, friends and school children give presents to their female teachers.

                    International Women's Day, a holiday celebrated world wide, honors working women and women’s struggle everywhere. Taught that women's place in history is relatively undistinguished, it should be a real source of pride and inspiration to American women to know that International Women's Day originated in honor of two all women strikes which took place in the U.S.

              Every Home,Every Heart, Every Feeling,Every Moment

                       Of happiness is incomplete without you, 

            Only you can complete this world Happy Women’s Day

                       On March 8, 1857, garment workers in New York City marched and picketed, demanding improved working conditions, a ten hour day, and equal rights for women. Their ranks were broken up by the police. Fifty-one years later, March 8, 1908, their sisters in the needle trades in New York marched again, honoring the 1857 march, demanding the vote, and an end to sweatshops and child labor. The police were present on this occasion too.

                                                  International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

                                                  International Women's Day represents a movement that is for every woman and girl, no matter where they live. This year, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize nominee in history by risking her life for the cause of universal girls' education.

                                         Her courage has inspired women across the world. Some of the bravest, most revolutionary voices about empowerment are coming from women and girls like Malala who are calling the world's attention to social norms that prevent women from realizing their full potential.

                   

                       “A beautiful woman draws strength from troubles,

smiles during distress and grows stronger with prayers & hope.
           Send this to a beautiful woman. I just did!
              Wishing you a very happy woman’s day!”

National Science Day

NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY

             The Government of India, way back in 1986, at the initiative of the National Council for Science and Technology communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology (DST), declared 28 February as the National Science Day and Instituted National Science Popularisation awards. In addition to remembering with gratitude the contributions of the renowned Nobel Laureate, C.V. Raman, the Government stands committed to inculcating a scientific temper in all so that overall development of society can be achieved. For several days (upto a month), either starting or culminating on this day, special meetings, functions, debates, lectures, seminars, competitions and so on are organised with a view to giving impetus to science popularisation activities. In addition, NCSTC, DST installed the following awards, to recognie and honour outstanding work in the following areas

1. Best efforts in science popularisation
2. Best S & T coverage in newspapers
3. Best S & T FILM
4. Best efforts in science popularisation among children
5. Best S&T toy/Do-it-yourself kit

                                         It is quite pertinent at this stage to know as to how this day is celebrated thus far; to look into the activities and programmes, undertaken on this occasion by various official as well as non-official agencies, including school and colleges; to identify and separate out the ritualistic and ceremonial from among these; and to think of ways and means of ensuring that whatever is sought to be done under this head (i.e. of celebrating the National Science Day), in future, would be meaningful and consistent with the significance, the spirit and the purpose behind the very institution of this day.

                                                  On the basis of reports received in the past concerning activities and Programmes conducted on the occasion, and copies of some of the proposals received for NSD from different states and UTs, in the respective S&T Councils/departments, it has been observed that among some of the most common but nebulous activities usually undertaken by institutions and agencies include organisation of popular lectures, science quiz contests and competitions, and' science exhibitions' in schools and colleges. Every  year a number of science popularization programmes are organized all over the country for celebrating  National Science Day.   

                          National Science Day Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas (राष्ट्रीय विज्ञान दिवस) is celebrated in India on February 28 each year to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.

For this discovery, Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

                                       February 28th is celebrated throughout India as National Science Day, and marks the discovery of the Raman Effect by C. V. Raman for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. NCRA celebrates Science Day by organising one of the biggest science festivals in the country on Feb 28th and 29th at the GMRT campus in Khodad.

                                           In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) asked the Government of India to designate February 28 as National Science Day. The event is now celebrated all over the country in schools, colleges, universities and other academic, scientific, technical, medical and research institutions. On the occasion of the first NSD (National Science Day) on 30 May 2000 , the NCSTC announced institution of the National Science Popularization awards for recognizing outstanding efforts in the area of science communication and popularization. 

                                       This festival sees about 20,000 people visiting us every year, a majority of whom are students and their family from rural and semi-urban talukas and districts in Junnar and nearby areas in Western Maharashtra. 

                                  More then 600 science projects are demonstrated by school and college students. National and State science institutes and universities too show off their latest research. There are public talks, science movie screenings, night sky observing, live demonstrations, and many more. 

                                 The Science Day celebrations comprise a major component of our outreach programmes. Science Day events are usually spread over two days starting 28th of February, in order to cater to the tremendous response from the general public, especially the students from the schools and colleges in the rural and semi-urban areas and districts in the western Maharashtra, especially those near the GMRT observatory. It is perhaps one of the largest Science Day events in rural India, with about a hundred schools, colleges and institutions participating, and over 15000 people visiting the observatory during the two-day event.

                                                    The programme consists of a grand Science Exhibition, where children from the schools and colleges exhibit their science projects, and prizes are given for the best entries in different age groups. In addition, there are exhibitions illustrating astronomical themes and concepts, exciting results obtained with the GMRT, various subsystems of GMRT and illustrative models. There are also exhibits and live demonstrations from various research institutes and science popularisation groups, as well as teaching institutions such as the University of Pune and various national laboratories. There are also programmes to interact with well-known scientists and engineers and film shows on astronomical topics of current interest.

                           He Day is observed to mark the novel discovery of Raman Effect by the great Indian Physicist Sir C. V. Raman on 28th February, 1928. Raman Effect is a phenomenon in spectroscopy discovered by the eminent physicist while working in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of science, Kolkata. After two years of this discovery, Sir C. V. Raman brought the first Nobel Award for the country in 1930. Hence the National Science Day is a great day for Indian Science and scientific community.

Besides, National Science Day offers an opportunity to bring issues of science on to centre stage. The activities organized on the occasion provide public with an occasion to personally attend various programmes and be aware of the emerging issues of immediate concern. Organizing activities with the involvement of large number of people results into purposeful interaction between the science fraternity and the common people for mutual benefit.

                                    

C. V. Raman

                      Besides commemorating the event, National Science day (NSD) have several objectives. Here are a few of them:

o    NSD gives an opportunity to bring issues of science on to center stage

o    It highlights the contributions of science to human kind in the domains of disease eradication, energy production, space exploration, environmental issues, information technology etc.

o    It emphasizes biotechnology’s impact on agriculture, environment, health, industry and pharmaceuticals.

o    It gives the space for exchange of thoughts on the gospel of reason and experimental observation that helps scientist to acquire mental and intellectual excellence.

o    It provides the information on application of science in the daily life.

o    It motivates to inculcate scientific temper among the school children.

o    It lists the initiative steps taken by the scientific community to disseminate the knowledge to the future generations.

                        

                                               R. Chandrasekhara Iyer in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. His mother tongue was Tamil. At an early age Raman moved to the city of Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics, so he grew up in an academic atmosphere. Raman entered Presidency College, Chennai, in 1902, and in 1904 gained his B.Sc., winning the first place and the gold medal in physics. In 1907 he gained his M.Sc., obtaining the highest distinctions. He joined the Indian Finance Department as an Assistant Accountant General in Kolkata. His nephew Subramanyan Chandrasekhar also won the Nobel Prize in Physics, in 1983.

                       In 1917 Raman resigned from his government service and took up the newly created Palit Professorship in Physics at the University of Calcutta. At the same time, he continued doing research at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta, where he became the Honorary Secretary. Raman used to refer to this period as the golden era of his career. Many talented students gathered around him at the IACS and the University of Calcutta.

                                  Chandrasekara Venkataraman, was shortened during his school years) was born in November 1888 in southern India. His father was a lecturer in physics and mathematics. In 1902, at age 13, Raman entered Presidency College, Madras. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1904 and master’s degree in 1907. As a student he did research in optics and acoustics. 

                                        He loved science, but saw few career opportunities for a scientist in India, so after receiving his degrees he took the financial civil service exam and went to work for the government as an Assistant Accountant General. But he didn’t give up science–in his spare time he carried out experiments at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at Calcutta. His research included studies of the physics of the violin as well as stringed Indian instruments and Indian drums. He also became known as a good lecturer, offering popular science lectures to the public.

                                          In 1917 Raman was offered the Palit Chair of Physics at Calcutta University. In order to take the position he had to leave his prestigious and well paid civil service job, but he was finally able to devote himself full-time to science.

                                           

LABORATORY VISITS

                                  Members of ISSL conduct groundbreaking research in neuromorphic computing, robotic manipulation, brain-machine interfaces, trusted computing, multi-sensor object recognition, and automated knowledge
and content extraction.

                                    The lab is investigating intelligent neural systems for mobile platforms that can perform complex behaviors in the face of unforeseen and changing environmental conditions. The goal of ISSL's computational brain function research is to develop computational models of how the brain processes single and cross-sensory modalities (in video, audio and speech), as well as actions (planning, navigation) and motor control. Work on brain machine interfaces is focused on discovering relevant patterns / thoughts from non-invasive devices (e.g., electroencephalograms) with the goal of assisting and augmenting human cognition. The lab is developing new capabilities for dexterous mobile manipulation using human-like robots.

                              Sensor-processing research is directed at extracting information from data of any type to enable the development of systems with new or enhanced capabilities. ISSL researchers are developing and exploiting state-of-the-art algorithms for the entire processing chain—from low-level processing to feature extraction, entity detection and recognition, sensor and information fusion, and higher level analysis. Other work in this area emphasizes diagnostics and prognostics and on wireless communications and sensing systems. ISSL has developed and demonstrated systems for a variety of applications, including automotive safety, manufacturing safety, surveillance, vehicle prognostics, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, electronic control unit diagnostics, and warranty record analysis.