Since the ancient era, Indian scientists and inventors have been magnanimously contributing to the development of global scientific thought. Many of their inventions have literally transformed the world. Here are the 10 powerful inventions of modern India.
Shivkar Bapuji Talpade
1. Airplane
Shivkar Bapuji Talpade is originally credited as the inventor of world’s first airplane. He not just invented but also successfully flew the first heavier-than-air auto-controlled aircraft in the history.
Talpade’s airplane “Mārutsakha” was unmanned aircraft with controls backed by an auto-pilot technology that did not require human pilot to manually control the aircraft. His design was inspired from Vaimānika shātra technology. In 1895 at Choupati beach, Mārutsakha wrote history by taking flight as the world’s first auto-controlled aircraft. The airplane flew at an altitude of 1500 feet. Shivkar’s airplane used mercury as primary source of fuel.
Primary Source
J C Bose
2. Wireless Technology
Jagadish Chandra Bose is credited as the father of wireless telecommunication and modern day Wi-Fi. Together with the telephone receiver Sir J. C. Bose invented the Mercury Coherer. In 1895, the same year Marutsakha was flown, J. C. Bose attested his first public demonstration of electromagnetic waves. He was a pioneer in the field of microwave technology. In the demonstration, Bose sent an electromagnetic wave across 75 feet through the walls. He held the global patent for his invention of a solid-state diode detector that used to detect electromagnetic waves.
He was also the first scientist to discover that plants too are living beings and have similar functions like animals.
Primary Source
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
3. Raman Effect
The change in wavelength of a light wave that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules is called Raman Effect. This effect is named after an Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who first published the scientific phenomenon in 1928.
Raman spectroscopy is used in many varied field. Any application that requires non-destructive, microscopic, chemical analysis and imaging, Raman spectroscopy is useful.
Primary source
Narinder Singh Kapany i
4. Fibre Optics
Narinder Singh Kapany is credited as the father of fibre optics. In 1954 Kapany successfully demonstrated the transmission of images over a bundle of optic fibres. He coined the term ‘Fibre Optics’. His pioneering work led to the revolution of high speed internet communication and medical procedures such as endoscopy and laser surgeries.
An optical fibre is a transparent and flexible slender glass fibre that is even thinner than a human hair. It can carry signals over long distances at higher bandwidths data rates with less loss in signal intensity. Kapany founded Optics Technology Inc., Kaptron Inc. and K2 Optronics. He specializes in the process of technology management and technology transfer through his ventures.
Primary source
VA Shiva Ayyadurai
5. Email
VA Shiva Ayyadurai is globally credited as the inventor of email.
At the age of 14, Shiva wrote 50,000 lines of code consisting of Inbox, Outbox, Folders, Memo, Attachments, etc., and named the program “email.” He received the first copyright for his Email in 1982.
Today Email has become a domestic name and every one of us is dependent on emails.
Primary source
Chandrasekhar limit.
6. Chandrasekhar Limit
The maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star is referred to as Chandrasekhar limit. The currently accepted value of the Chandrasekhar limit is about 1.4 M☉. The value is named in the honour of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar as he improved the accuracy of the calculation in 1930.
Primary source
7. Bibhorr Formula
Developed by Bibhorr as a set of three new mathematical codes to establish direct relations between the sides and angles of a triangle, the formula proves useful in aerodynamics, robotics, infinite series, marine engineering, space travel, etc. Bibhorr formula is a next-generation aggrandization of trigonometry. The equation is notated employing Hindi alphabets.
Universally called King of Equations, the formula is known to replace trigonometric functions in standard trigonometric field. The formula rigorously corrects the deviation pattern arising due to inaccuracies in standard computational methodology affiliated to trigonometry.
Primary source
8. Goggles for Blind
Goggle for Blind (G4B) is the pair of glasses that helps alert the visually impaired about nearby objects, without the external help or using a stick. The G4B uses technology similar to parking sensors in cars. It is developed by Anang Tadar. The technology is based on echo location as it imitates bat navigation.
Primary source
9. Smallest Satellite
3D printed satellite named Kalamsat is constructed and designed by Rifath Sharook. It became the world’s lightest satellite weighing just 64 grams. The satellite was assembled at Srimathi Kesan’s residence in Chennai. The material used is reinforced carbon fiber polymer.
Primary source
10. Breath Enabled Communication
Invented by Arsh Shah Dilbagi, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Device that helps people with developmental disabilities like to communicate in a normal form of speech. His device is named TALK. TALK is the only AAC Device in the world that uses breath as the way of communication. Basically the device converts breath into talking. The technology behind TALK uses the variations in a person’s breath helping person to dictate letters, which are further combined and synthesized as sentences. The device is pocket sized and hence portable in nature.
Primary source
