Fig. 1

The need for affordable building technologies is obvious to most of us who come from countries that are poor and are often victims of natural calamities. Housing for the poor receives only limited funding and takes a backseat to other economic priorities. What the poor often do not realize is that there are no affordable technologies that can meet their need. The only way to meet their housing needs is to be an active part of the building process.

Professionals cannot afford to help them. Most technology experts such Architects and Engineers (AE) have to work for a paying client. The poor are not a paying client. Besides AE’s fee is tied to the cost of a building so the cheaper a structure the lesser the fee. The conflict of interest does not help. Funding by Government agencies for affordable housing is marginal or focused on services and utilities mostly realized as infrastructure development or so called “ site and services” project. So what ends up being passed as affordable building technology in the marketplace is a scaled down version of a handful of building systems albeit with modest finishes and compromised structure. In a nut shell when the technology morphs to affordable the walls do not get plastered, no plumbing or electricity is incorporated as a first exercise, and the reinforced concrete slab is replaced by corrugated metal roofing sheets which get unbearably hot in summer and cold in winter. More alarmingly very often the price has been reduced for the poor by removing critical structural and foundation specifications and details critical for seismic zones, flood zones, and zones which have poor soil conditions. Hence the disaster in Kashmir , AJK in 2005 when eighty (80%) percent of the housing stock was destroyed in a single earthquake.

Fig. 2

So what is this new technology Membrane Assisted Seismic-Resistant Structures (MASS) that the author has developed and believes can make a difference. MASS in a nut shell is a non-combustible, insulated, light-weight soil-cement reinforced concrete wall and floor slab building system. It replaces wood, brick and concrete masonry unit (CMU) – currently the primary building block for walls.

Fig. 3

How does it achieve the cost reduction and differentials that the buildings cost 50% less and by only using local resources. In a way it is not new. It is the old adobe (mud/clay) technology but a with new execution process. Which is why the technology can now compete with masonry and brick wall construction. There is no firing or baking, as in clay blocks to make brick, so MASS is environmentally less damaging and buildings have a much smaller carbon footprint. No wood is utilized so no further depletion of forests and timber stock. MASS and in a way adobe technology finally makes it possible to build much faster than brick or masonry – when it used to take twice as long previously. Adobe had its high poiint in multi-storied adobe structures in Yemen, Mali, Indian Pueblos of North America and other drier climate areas. But in the end it could not compete with masonry and brick structures in cost, time to execute, and maintenance issues.
The cost differential between MASS and masonry and brick structures is significant. MASS offers some 50% reduction in cost of building the walls and some 30% less in cost of the roof slab. Buildings get built in less than half the time. The new technology can also be utilized to build in all climate zones. The new technology also reduces operating cost as the structures are highly insulated and do not require supplemental cooling or heating for temperatures in the range of 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. An example of such a building is a house made with “MASS” and commissioned by Aga Khan Foundation, see Fig. 1, which was built by the author in Kashmir, AJK some five years ago after a major earthquake hit the region. The structure has by now experienced several seismic (earthquakes) events of Richter 5.5 and higher. The quantity of cement utilized is eighty (80%) less than what would be utilized in masonry block walls for a house the same size. Yet its seismic response is better as it has a lower mass inertia and better energy dissipation and dampening characteristics. The interior can be modest see Fig 2 or high end, see Fig 3 & 4 completed in Mangla, Pakistan in 2011. The author has built all these structures in his presence using unskilled labor, materials bought in the local village markets, in Northern and Southern Pakistan.

Fig. 4

The second technology developed by the author, patent pending, Versa-Slab (VS) slab, is a “Green” and sustainable alternative to the conventional reinforced concrete (RCC) slab. VS slab does not require any decking or scaffolding during the curing process. Hence finally countries that do not have wood, or cannot afford to destroy their timber forest, can build multi-story structures with concrete floor slabs that could not afford to do earlier. Floor slabs are fabricated at site using manual labor and with almost no mechanical equipment. As a footnote all the MASS built homes in AJK and elsewhere have experienced significant tremors and seismic events since their construction and do not exhibit any structural distress (i.e. cracks and failures).

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The recent US mission to get Osama without the knowledge of Pakistan Air Force was a success because of PAF’s lack of investment in sensors that can detect low flying aircraft in undulating and hilly terrain. This is not the first time that PAF has been caught in this embarrassing situation. Indian Air Force was able to penetrate deep into Pakistani territory in 1971, knowing that PAF did not have low level radar coverage in many areas.  At that time PAF depended on mobile observer units (MOUs) for human visual and aural detection of planes.  This man power intensive brute force effort only worked in limited areas and only during war. Despite investing in limited low altitude radars and airborne radars it is obvious that there are gaping holes in the air defense system as exemplified by the unscathed operation of multiple large rotor helicopters for hours in Pakistani airspace deep into its territory.

This story is specially poignant because way back in 1977 when I graduated from College of Aeronautical Engineering in Korangi Karachi, I had won the best project award for designing a device for acoustic detection of low to medium altitude flying aircraft. The Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan was the chief guest at the graduation and, knowing the vulnerabilities that PAF had experienced during the 1971 war, instructed that PAF should productize and widely deploy and advanced version of the device that I had designed. I was posted to a squadron that was dedicated to developing electronic warfare equipment with this goal in mind. Unfortunately ACM Zulfiqar retired and ACM Anwar Shamin became the new Chief of PAF. He and some of his coterie of highly corrupt senior officers were  unfortunately more interested in getting commissions from buying radars and other equipment from foreign countries. Not only was my project canceled but I was also not allowed to design or develop other electronic warfare equipment locally.

PAF has bought radars for the detection of low flying aircraft called MPDR as well as airborne radar planes called AWACs. The MPDR radars have limited ranges of a maximum of 90 km. So a large number of them have to be deployed to cover any reasonable area. They tend to get deployed to cover critical areas during wartime.

PAF also has three Swedish made and one Chinese made AWAC. They are relatively slow propeller driven planes that are expensive to maintain in the air at all times. The number of AWACs is also limited so they are used with care.

Since no PAF spokesman or anyone else has tried to explain the failure to detect to Pakistanis, I will try to shed some light in simplified terms. Pakistani media has further confused the issue by focusing on the wrong aspects that PAF was trying to conserve the life of its long range radars. First of all there is not much money to be saved by keeping these long range radars off and secondly even if they had been on and they were most probably were, they would not have been able to detect low flying helicopters in the northern hills as they cannot provide that kind of coverage.

No matter how much stealth technology you apply to a helicopter the large rotor makes it highly detectable to radars.  It has recently been disclosed that large non stealth twin rotor Chinook helicopters had also been used. Had the AWACS been in the air and on location they would have easily detected the helicopters. But this is not being considered war time, they were not flying. The slow speed of propeller driven AWACs meant that they could not have been sent over the area in response to the scramble after hearing the news from Abbottabad. MPDRs could have detected the copters, but Pakistan has only a limited numbers and are deployed on the eastern fronts or close to high value areas like airfields.  This leaves vast areas in the northern mountains essentially uncovered by any sensor. This is actually quite tragic given that it is quite easy to deploy the kinds of sensor that I had developed way back in 1977.  Cheap solar powered version of those sensors can easily be linked using low power communications to instrument the whole northern areas.

The two F-16s that were scrambled in response were essentially flying blind at night trying to figure out where to look in a very wide area.  PAF chief recently made a statement that with the induction of three more Chinese AWACS PAF will be able to provide radar coverage for all of Pakistan.  If you take into account war time attrition, jamming, turn around time etc. the effective force of AWACs that can be relied upon to be available at any one time is at the most two to three at any one time. With a radius of only couple of hundred miles, this would only protect Sargodha and Karachi vicinities at best. They will also need to be effectively protected with fighters which would make the cost of operations quite high and not easily sustainable over a long time. What PAF really needs are more AWACs on a jet driven fast platform that can accompany the fighters to provide cost effective deterrence.  The PAF chief needs to get realistic and ask for what is needed for the effective protection rather than making tall claims.

The pilots in PAF occupy such a glorified position that their leadership results in the acquisition of sexy fighters like F-16s at the cost of smart combination of tools that deliver cost effective and efficient defense solutions.  PAF is still buying expensive US made fighter planes when there are multiple opportunities of partnering with other friendly countries to produce planes for her needs.  The much touted JF-17 was nearly cancelled as many pilots thought it would be a threat to more F-16 procurement. Again a change in leadership saved it. PAF is the only air force in the world that runs an aircraft manufacturing institution.  The reason no other country’s air force does that is because they leave it to the efficiency of the civil sector to deliver planes and focus on their primary and constitutionally approved task of the air defense of the country.

In 1965 USA gifted the nation of Pakistan with one of greatest gifts that can be given to a nation. America helped create College of Aeronautical Engineering at Korangi that was modeled along the lines of US Air Force Institute of Technology. A wide variety of advanced tools ranging from super sonic and subsonic tunnels along with expensive electronics equipment was provided to PAF. The academic standard was maintained by sending American instructors and some inducted from the civilian sector. Despite these investments Pakistan has not designed a single locally designed aircraft as the engineers coming out of this institutions were primarily used for maintenance duties that does not even scratch the education imparted at this college. The graduates actually do very well when they go to the civil sectors and are found to be leading most of the companies and academia in engineering.  The PAF further eroded quality teachers when the college got moved to Risalpur for the sake of being close to pilot training institute. This is a lesson for US policy planners to learn before they give sophisticated assistance to the military sector. Had the college been given to the civil sector with the understanding that it would also allow limited military cadets to also participate, chances are that real aerospace engineering might have occurred and  the quality of education might have been maintained.

Pakistan has many companies that produce UAVs but PAF still buys Italian UAVs and Pakistani President still looks to the US to providing them.

These recent events should be a wake up call to Pakistan and its leadership to start making the right choices for protecting the Pakistani citizens from external and internal threats. The shape and scope of Pakistan’s needs must be reviewed and appropriate changes made correctly engage the civil sector to fulfill them.

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President Obama’s state of the union focused on investments into education and innovation as the key engines for maintaining USA’s leadership position in the long term. The same is equally applicable for developing countries like Pakistan. OPEN has been facilitating entrepreneurs in America for over ten years. OPEN joined hands with MIT to conduct Business Acceleration Plans as a way to doing the same in Pakistan.  It was felt that rather than focusing on start ups it would be socially more effective to take companies whose sales were $1M-$5M to the next level. This is the reason for naming it as an acceleration plan. BAP has impacted 120 companies over the last four years that it has been conducted.  The four finalists of the BAP were in Boston today and interacted with OPEN’s New England Chapter members.

As the global economy tumbled, and local conditions, both economic and political conspired to arrest their growth and development, alumni companies of the Annual OPEN/MIT Enterprise Forum of Pakistan Business Acceleration Plan Competition have somehow seemed to defy conventional wisdom and establish themselves as world class operators in their specific domains. You may not have heard of these entrepreneurs, nor their stories of entrepreneurial struggle and success, but it’s very likely that the products and services they provide intersect with your digital lifestyle here in the US, or directly impact the lives of friends and family members in Pakistan. Astronomical revenue growth rates that range from 3x to 50x (year over year and 3 year), addition of international operations and leverage of OPEN members’ reach and experience in international markets have made the OPEN/MITEFP BAP a signature event of Pakistan’s innovation economy.

The event for the finalists  was held at Cambridge Innovation Center, which houses nearly two hundred and fifty start ups in the Kendall Research Area of Cambridge MA.  Dr. Kenneth Morse, who has been instrumental in getting BAP off the ground, opened the event with an overview of what is happening around the world and how it relates to Pakistan.  He said that BAP’s objective was to create a vibrant and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem for Pakistan’s ambitious tech entrepreneurs. He said that BAP was from conception tethered to OPEN and that it was the wind beneath our wings. The finalists of BAP are given one week intensive training at MIT and also get to visit most of the six OPEN chapters. There they interact and network with charter members.  Each of the OPEN chapter offers a different and complementary areas of expertise.

There were two winners this year. They were accompanied by two finalists as guest speakers.

Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed, CEO NexSource - Joint Winner – 2010 OPEN/MITEFP BAP

Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed is a visionary strategist specializing in developing innovative solutions for Healthcare Services through information technology. He holds the following positions in various companies and organizations: As a globally recognized speaker Dr. Zaki has presented on eHealth / mHealth in many international conferences around the world in the last 10 years. His list of “Pakistan’s First” include: First “Medical Call Center”, First “Hub & Spoke” Telemedicine model, First Family Health Membership Program, First Videoconferencing Studio and Services, First National & International Telemedicine / eHealth Conference and Exhibition, First TeleRadiology project, among many others. His areas of interest, expertise & experience are eHealth, mHealth, eMarketing & MedicoMarketing, eLearning, Videoconferencing & Web Conferencing, Medical Tourism & Medical Ethics.
Dr Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and a Master’s degree in Health Management and serves on the boards of various organizations.

Mr. Tanveer Sharif, CEO Vopium – Joint Winner – 2010 OPEN/MITEFP BAP

Tanveer Sharif is the founder and CEO of Vopium involved in the overall management of the company by starting it from scratch and listing it today on NYSE EURONEXT in Paris. He holds a B. Sc in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School. He initiated his career in the IT field by working for Danish companies like Soft Design and Columbus IT partner. He also worked as an advisor for Danish Parliamentarians and various Danish ministries. In 2000, Tanveer Sharif joined a Not-for-profit organization where he was appointed CEO arm for Venture Cup. The main purpose of Venture Cup was to help entrepreneurs in their business start-ups. This was a successful venture for him where he created almost 80 companies and raised 40 million dollars in venture capital along with his team. In 2002- 2006, he worked as an elected member of Copenhagen County Council, where he represented his party in the Social and Health Committees. In 2010 he raised another 16 million dollars for Vopium, the largest investment that year in a Danish startup. He was runner-up for business leader of the year 2010, awarded by the crown princess Mary of Denmark.

Mr. Reza Samad, CEO Noblet – Finalist – 2010 OPEN/MITEFP BAP

Reza Samad is the founder and CEO of Noblet. His business experience spans over 15 years within the technology space. Having founded Pakistan’s Automated Clearing House (ACH) for banks (nift.com), he helped revolutionize the cheque processing system in Pakistan. NiFT currently handles 95% of Pakistan clearing instruments for all banks operating in the country. Reza simultaneously founded a logistics company that could handle the transportation of clearing instruments to and from bank branches 4 times a day across the country. The operation stands at over 400 people in 20 cities catering to over 200 cities/towns in Pakistan. Reza then established Noblet Consulting representing Manpower Inc (among others) in Pakistan. A host of Soft-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications covering HR, Admin and Finance have and are being developed for roll out across the MEAA region. Noblet made the top 5 companies in the MIT Business Acceleration Program 2010 competition.

Mr. Faisal Khan, CEO, Ovex Technologies – Finalist – 2010 OPEN/MITEFP BAP

Mr. Faisal S. Khan is the CEO of Ovex Technologies Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd and is a Chartered Accountant by profession. Prior to his joining Ovex Technologies, he has been working with KPMG TaseerHadi& Co. as a Partner for approximately a year and half. During his tenure of all inclusive 20 years, with KPMG TaseerHadi& Co. He spent two years with KPMG Oman, on international secondment. With KPMG, Mr. Khan has been involved primarily with assurance and some advisory work. His areas of expertise included banks and financial institutions, manufacturing concerns and retails businesses. He is well conversant with risk management and SOX requirements. He has also worked in an educational institution primarily in the field of Accountancy. He is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan.

The panel discussion was moderated by Imran Nasrullah, the Chief Business Officer of Massachusetts BioTech Council and Dr. Scharukh Jalisi, Directorof Boston Univerty’s  Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery. It was interesting to see that the Pakistani businesses are viewing the Middle East, Asia and Africa as areas of operation. They see these regions as not being adequaltely serviced by the established western corporations. It was exciting to see highly democratized technologies of communication and medical devices being effectively employed to deliver quality health care services to widely dispersed populations in the rural areas of Pakistan. With the infrastructure in place, these technologies and processes could be expanded to deliver other services like education. The are potentially 120 Million Pakistani who can eventually benefit from these efforts.

One thing that was evident right from the start is that the next generation of Pakistani Americans are now running OPEN. The young Dr. Bilal Zuberi, who runs VC fund, encouraged the participants to come forth with new ideas. He said that he could write a check for $200K today, without going through any process. This was also reflected by younger Pakistani students studying in the Boston universities also being present. The event was moderated Raza Sarwar is the new Vice President of OPEN New England chapter.

The Incredible OPEN Spouses

OPEN would not have been formed without the active participation of spouses. I would like to appreciate the incredible support provided by them to OPEN right from the early days to today. They were also present today to encourage the OPEN activities.

The Right Revolution

In conclusion I would like to observe that as we see revolutionary events unfold in the Middle East and Africa, that create the potential of great uncertainty but also hope;  a better way to bring about transformational change in developing countries is through innovation and entrepreneurial activities. Pakistani leadership in different domains have a unique opportunity to encourage their incredibly talented technology entrepreneurs to achieving their true potential. They also have an opportunity to leverage the Pakistani diaspora in speeding up the societal transformation that the burgeoning youth of Pakistan so desperately needs.

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The TSA confirmed last week that it has told its agents nationwide to start using the new procedure. Here’s its official statement: “TSA is in the process of implementing new pat-down procedures at checkpoints nationwide as one of our many layers of security to keep the traveling public safe. Pat-downs are one important tool to help TSA detect hidden and dangerous items such as explosives. Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, among others.” That doesn’t tell you much, but according to media reports, persons who have undergone the new pat-downs use much more graphic language to describe them, referring to the inspection with words like “invasive,” “groping,” and even “foreplay.” TSA agents who conduct pat-downs will now reportedly be allowed to use their palms instead of only the backs of their hands to conduct the pat-downs in sensitive areas, and no part of the passenger’s anatomy is off limits.

A week before the Thanksgiving travel crush, some passengers and pilots have complained that the searches -- particularly the pat-downs -- are too invasive.
“I wouldn’t want my wife to be touched in a way that these folks are being touched. I wouldn’t want to be touched that way and I think that we have to be focused on safety, but there’s a balance,” said Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla. “I think we’ve gone to right field.”

But TSA Director  Pistole responded that “my job as administrator is try to find that balance, recognize the invasiveness of it and also recognize that the threats are real, the stakes are high and we must prevail.” He also emphasized that most passengers will continue to go through metal detectors and that only and a far smaller number will be directed to body scanners. A pat-down is ordered only for passengers who refuse the body scan or who trigger an alarm in a metal detector.

Pilots unions also are fighting the additional measures, saying pilots should continue going through metal detectors only. The Allied Pilots Association told its members that the cumulative effect of frequent full body scans could be harmful, given that pilots are already exposed to higher doses of cosmic rays during long flights at altitude.

Studies conducted on the full body scanners by the National Institute of Science and Technology and Johns Hopkins University concluded that radiation from the scans is minimal, Pistole said. The scanners expose a flier to the same amount of radiation as being in the air at 30,000 feet for three minutes, he said.

But after giving it some thought, I think there is a lot of sense in the deployment of these scanners and pat down procedures. Flying is not a right but a privilege. I would much rather have some people offended rather than risk the lives of those who might die as a result of not being able catch a terrorist from boarding a plane. The one billion dollars of tax payers money are well spent as the cost to the society of a successful attack is far greater than either this sum of the inconvenience. The dose currently being used is equivalent of 5000 chest Xrays. This dose is enough for TSA to secure the planes for us without needing to pat down passengers that take time and cause some sensitive souls to protest.  I think passengers should treat the pat downs in the same spirit as a doctor needing to probe the body to secure your body from disease.

What most Americans don’t really get it is that we are at war with an enemy that does not obey any rules of engagement as is willing to resort to all means.  We are always a step behind in responding to the evolving tactics.  First it was the shoe then there are these packages. I think we need to get more aggressive in protecting the homeland rather than try to please all the different sensitivities.  I think we should actually have the strength of these scanner be controlled by trained TSA agents who can increase the dose of Xrays being used depending on the thickness of clothing and the perceived threat level being posed by a passenger in the eyes of the agent.  A swarthy Middle Eastern person wearing flowing thick clothing should be a good candidate for at least one XRay’s worth of dose in a scan so that the agent can see if he or she has something in her intestines that might be dangerous.

If such a person’s behavior is suspicious we should actually have Virtual Colonscopy Machines installed to make 100 percent sure that they are not a threat to the society.  In case they are found to be not dangerous we could, if they so desire ,give them the result of the scan which they could show it to their doctor thus saving them some money in not have a need to get a colonoscopy done. Getting a blood sample and performing a test for drugs prior to a flight should also improve the level of ensuring a safer flight.

We should actually have all the options on the table when it comes to flying in larger planes over longer distances as they have the potential to cause the maximum damage.  In these longer flights I think the passengers should actually  be sedated as this would obviate the need to feed and entertain them. These savings could be passed to the passengers in lower ticket prices.

Just as the investments into X ray machines are now bearing fruit in making us safer, HomeLand Security should increase investments into research towards understanding the brain wave patterns of the criminal mind. Should that technology mature we could offer those passengers that cannot be sedated due to medical reasons to opt to wear the “thought probes” on the heads for the duration of the flights that should be coupled with lethal poison injectors under their seat cushions. The close coupling between such sensor which injects the suppressive poison if the level of objectionable thoughts cross a dangerous threshold would make flying nearly 100 percent safe for the American public to fly.

Once we have all these defense mechanisms in place we would be in a position to take on the terrorists around the world with impunity and they will be running for their lives and the Mission will be finally Accomplished.

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Jadoo2 is the latest offering from JadooTV which allows you to view multi media content streamed off the internet on your TV screen. I had written about the first Jadoo offering earlier under the title of  “Connecting Diasporas with HomeLands” . I recently got the opportunity to experience Jadoo2 to see for myself what improvements have been made by the company since the last two years. I have tried to capture both the installation and the viewing experience of the product in this post, that could potentially help those trying to make a decision to buy, as well as show a few new features. It is an informational faucet for the mind and a source of pleasure for both the eyes and ears.

UnPacking and Installation

The experience of unpacking a well designed product reflects the inner quality of the product. For if the company provides this much attention to details to its packaging, it does not take much to imagine the effort that has gone into its internal design. Apple truly understands and excels in the dimension. While not yet at the Apple standard, Jadoo2 had made considerable strides in this department. All the components were well packaged and opened conveniently and logically. The instructions were succinct and too the point. It took me less than five minutes to hook it up to my Samsung Monitor using the HDMI cable. It configured in about five click of the remote. Even though my TV is on the third floor and wireless router in the basement on the other side of a largish house, the signal received was strong and robust using the new 11n standard. I did not need to extend the wireless USB receiver, provided as an extra with the product. You will need to register with JadooTV using the Box ID to enable the live content. I was particularly surprised by ease with which it connected with my computer’s video content through Microsoft Media Player. When I turned on the computer it prompted me to enable the link with Jadoo2, and that was it. All my media content was now available for viewing on Jadoo2.

Ergonomics

The size of the box is slightly bigger that the  first box I had evaluated. But the design is still slim and the box bit more visually pleasing. The real improvement was in the design of the new remote control.

Remote Control

The size and feel of the remote is now perfect.  The controls are logically placed and don’t overburden the memory as to what each button means. The interaction with the box is crisp and the tactile feel of pressing the button gives  positive feedback. The interaction with the playback controls is much improved, but could still use some improvements in responsiveness.

Connectivity

The device connects with the Internet through either the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet or 802.11n compliant wireless connection. Both in my opinion are equally good. I found the wireless connectivity exceptional and offering the flexibility of locating it anywhere in the house. Three USB connectors are more than what anyone would need in connecting external storage to. I liked the fact that there is a front facing USB connector for ease of access.

Video Quality

Jadoo2 with highest resolution of 1080p was more than capable of overpowering my TV which only could only handle 720p resolution. But even with that resolution it was more than adequate for experiencing the HD content. Sadly most of the movies that I browsed through were not available at the HD resolution. This is more a reflection of limited bandwidth from the servers and the compression at which the movies are being stored. I think a separate categorization of the HD content would improve the viewing experience dramatically.

Channel Offerings

The content is now organized by countries and continents. I got the pleasure of refreshing my Turkish by listening to a Turkish news broadcast. One can get the different perspectives of important news by seeing it being presented from a large number of countries from around the world. The most surreal experience was watching Pakistani flood effectee being interviewed by Taiwanese reporter.  Many of the better Bollywood movies are available in the category of Middle Releases. It was a little disappointing to see that the HD content is still lacking , which precludes the true capabilities of the device from being showcased.

Customer Support

I misread the box ID and had to interact with the customer support during the registration process.  I found Jadoo support staff to be extremely responsive.

Powerful Education Tool

Jadoo2 is mainly being marketed as an entertainment tool. The fact that it allows a shared multi media experience through connection with a large viewing device,  control using a remote and simple menu driven interface makes it an ideal educational tool at a very cost effective price. I had written about an ever increasing and large amount of quality educational content becoming available on the internet in my post titles “Rethinking Education in a Connected World” . This content is typically available through Youtube that can be viewed using Jadoo2.  A case in point are lectures from Khan Academy that are available in HD.  This kind of content when coupled with PowerPoint delivery can cover a lot of ground without the need for even a computer. PowerPoint presentation can be easily converted to JPEGs that can be streamed or viewed using USB stick. Both RCA jacks and HDMI connectors can be used for connection with a projectors The teacher only needs to copy the lecture to a USB stick and he or she is ready to present without the constraints of being close to a laptop or computer to switch through a rich multi media presentation.

The multi-cultural real time and archived content is ideal for teaching languages, current affairs and other studies requiring cultural immersion.

Room for Improvement

There are a couple of nits that would improve the product further. I was unable to back out after selecting a station that was taking long to connect. I had to wait for a rather prolonged time out period before the remote buttons became effective. I also find the need to having to go to the computer to register the ID of the box diminishing, the otherwise very efficient, installation experience. Can this not be achieved through some one time start up menu options since the connection with the server has already been established.

I think if the box had internationalization implemented in some of the major languages in its menus and documentation, it could achieve a much larger penetration in those markets.

Overall Experience

While I had not yet explored all of the features that it offers, I think it is a considerable improvement over its predecessors.  With the upcoming addition of DVR functionality with Electronic Program Guide (EPG), it would enhance its usefulness for its customers.

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As Muslims across the world prepare for, typically, once in a lifetime travel to Mecca to fulfill their religious obligation, it is time to ponder upon its impact on our planet Earth. With the rapid growth in Muslim populations, the advent of aviation and relative prosperity, an increasing number of Muslims are performing Haj.  Last year three million people performed it and the number of Hajis ( as they are called) are only going to increase with time as the facilities at Mecca are improved and the availability of aircraft like Airbus A380 and Boeing747.

A little bit of  calculation results in 2.3 tonne of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere per each Haji for performing Haj. This is based on  43.13 Passenger miles flown per gallon of jet fuel and on an estimate that on the average the Haji travels 4000 miles.  Typically 23.88 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced per gallon of jet fuel use. In reality many Hajis travel a lot more than 4000 miles and the impact of air travel is not only carbon dioxide.

Aviation is different from other energy-using activities as the majority of emissions occur at altitude, and their influence on the atmosphere can be highly localised and short-lived. Emissions from aircraft are responsible for other atmospheric chemical processes that also have atmospheric warming consequences. Aviation emissions are therefore more significant contributors to climate change, than an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted at ground level. Combustion of fuel in aeroplane engines results in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides, (termed NOx), as well as water vapour and particulates. It is the emission of NOx, water vapor and particulates at altitude that account for the extra impacts of aviation emissions.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and alters the balance of incoming and outgoing radiation from the earth’s surface and contributes to warming of the atmosphere. Aviation emissions of carbon dioxide have the same effect on climate as terrestrial emissions, from power stations, industry or transportsources. Carbon dioxide has an atmospheric lifetime of up to 200 years, so ends up well mixed in the lower atmosphere over this timeframe no matter where it is emitted.

Nitrogen oxides

Emissions of nitrogen oxides initiate a series of chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides form ozone (O3) in the presence of light, and light intensity is higher at altitude, so more ozone is formed at altitude than from terrestrial sources of NOx. Emissions of nitrogen oxides from sub-sonic aircraft accelerate local generation of ozone in the lower atmosphere where aircraft typically fly. The increase in ozone concentration will generally be proportional to the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted from aircraft. Ozone is a potent greenhouse gas whose concentration is highly variable and controlled by atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. The increase in radiative forcing from ozone is greater than carbon dioxide emissions. However, the ozone is responsible for the destruction of atmospheric methane (CH4). Methane is also a potent greenhouse gas, with an atmospheric lifetime of 14 years. The destruction of methane as a direct result of aviation therefore reduces the extent of warming caused by aviation emissions.

Water vapor
Water vapour is also an important greenhouse gas, but emissions of water vapour from aviation only have a minor direct warming effect. Water vapour has a short lifetime in the atmosphere and is controlled by the hydrological cycle. Emission of water vapour at high altitudes will produce contrails – the cloud-like trails behind aircraft that are visible from the ground. These contrails also trap heat in the atmosphere and their warming effect is believed to be equivalent to that of carbon dioxide alone . Contrails do not form at lower altitudes, so could be avoided by flying lower. In practice this is not done as the fuel burn, and therefore running cost, is greater when flying at lower altitudes where the atmosphere is denser. The contrails themselves are implicated in the formation of high altitude cirrus clouds, which are believed to have a strong warming effect on the atmosphere, although quantification remains poorly understood.

Recent MIT study on global warming estimates it to be much worse than previously estimated. The most comprehensive modeling yet carried out on the likelihood of how much hotter the Earth’s climate will get in this century shows that without rapid and massive action, the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago – and could be even worse than that.

The study uses the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model, a detailed computer simulation of global economic activity and climate processes that has been developed and refined by the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change since the early 1990s. The new research involved 400 runs of the model with each run using slight variations in input parameters, selected so that each run has about an equal probability of being correct based on present observations and knowledge. Other research groups have estimated the probabilities of various outcomes, based on variations in the physical response of the climate system itself. But the MIT model is the only one that interactively includes detailed treatment of possible changes in human activities as well – such as the degree of economic growth, with its associated energy use, in different countries.

In my previous post I had highlighted the emphasis on using rational thinking in Quran. I think it is time for Muslims as responsible denizens of this planet to reflect and reconsider their options on performing Haj in the coming years. There are provisions in Islam whereby rituals like prayer and fasting can be deferred or not done based on extenuating circumstances. I believe the health of the planet is one of such extenuating circumstance. Organization of Islamic Countries should formulate a responsible policy that balances the desires of Muslims with the impact on the ecology. Such a step might also lead to other responsible interpretations of Quran in response to the changes in technology and increases in population.

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Confluence of efficient solar cells, electric motors, energy harvesting techniques,composite materials, dense and sophisticated avionics is creating opportunities to develop Unattended Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UUAS). The first wave of UASs have enabled many applications that were unachievable with manned systems. As it turned out many of the UASs required more manpower on the ground than manned systems. There are still many more applications that become physically and economically viable if the humans are completely taken out of the loop.  This requires that the system be smart enough to take into account all eventualities, and have the ability to harvest energy from natural sources.

Two class of UUASs have recently evolved to offer applications requiring nearly indefinite operations.

Flying Fish

The first type consists of UUAS capable of prolonged operation on the ocean. University of Michigan investigators have developed two models of what they call Flying Fish. They were funded in part by DARPA to create a platform that could be used for persistent ocean surveillance. The mission required the vehicle to autonomously maintain a physical presence in a predefined watch-circle in the open ocean via continuous self-managed drift-and-flight sequences subject to environmental disturbances. They have been designed for unattended always-on operation, demonstrating safe and autonomous flight to and from the water’s surface. Flying Fish is the first UUAS to operate in and over water with energy harvesting. One of the most distinguishing features of the second-generation Flying Fish is its waterproof solar energy harvesting system with an array of solar-cells on the main wing and high-efficiency load-maintenance and charging circuitry. As an ocean observation platform Flying Fish has the unique ability to abandon a drifting loiter-strategy to intercept or chase entities at airborne speeds that exceed all large surface and sub-surface craft. Specific applications for Flying Fish might include oil-spill or algae bloom identification or boundary tracking, water-quality sampling, or acting as periodic communication relay to submerged assets.  Flying Fish has accomplished fully-autonomous watch circle maintenance in the open ocean (Monterey Bay) and in a local Michigan lake (Douglas Lake).

The second class of UUAS operates on the other extreme of the atmospheric envelope. They are designed to fly nearly perpetually,  operating at altitudes above 60,000 feet. These machines have very large wing spans and the ability to continuously fly through the night, using energy harvested during the day. Because of the high operating altitude they are guaranteed availability of daily sunlight.

Zephyr

The first such UUAS is Zephyr from Qinteq. It achieved an altitude of over 70,00o ft during a fourteen day flight. Launched by hand, the aircraft flies by day on solar power delivered by amorphous silicon solar arrays that cover the aircraft’s wings and are no thicker than sheets of paper. These are supplied by Uni-Solar, the world’s largest producer of flexible solar panels. The solar arrays are also used to recharge the lithium-sulfur batteries that are used to power the aircraft by night and supplied by Sion Power Inc, a leading developer of  high energy rechargeable battery technology. Together they provide an extremely high power to weight ratio on a continuous day/night cycle, thereby delivering persistent on station capabilities. The target goal for production quality aircraft is three months of uninterrupted flight.

SolarEagle

SolarEagle by Boeing is the other UUAS that is being designed to fly for five years. It will be able to carry a 100o pound payload with 5 kwatts of power at heights between60,000 and 90,000 feet. At these heights it would contend with some of the roles being currently being performed by satellites. During testing, the SolarEagle demonstrator will remain in the upper atmosphere for 30 days, harvesting solar energy during the day that will be stored in fuel cells and used to provide power through the night. The aircraft will have highly efficient electric motors and propellers and a high-aspect-ratio, 400-foot wing for increased solar power and aerodynamic performance. Key suppliers for the program include Versa Power Systems and QinetiQ.

Opportunity

These platforms are going to open up new opportunities for developing applications that leverage the low cost and persistent availability of flying platforms at different heights. Some of these would be replacing the current applications of surveillance and communications being performed for a limited dwell times but at a higher cost.  For commercial applications to gain widespread adoption it is important to create a comprehensive strategy for safely and fully integrating UAS into the national airspace system over both rural and urban regions. Once this is in place, it will be possible to treat UAS based application as an on demand service. A mind set change similar to that the software development underwent with the advent of viewing software as service.

These type of UASs will eventually meld into the fabric of our society in an ecologically responsible manner.  They will provide persistent monitoring of resources and at the same time increasing the availability of communications around the globe.  The video above  shows some curious dolphins attracted to the Flying Fish UAS because of its non threatening size and lack of noise.

The UUAS niche is still in its infancy and wide open both from technology and business perspective. The core technologies needed in terms of efficient solar cell, battery technology, flight management systems and composites will preclude dominant players from staking the grounds for quite sometime to come. In some ways this technology can further the democratization of technology, as the impact would be spread over a large number of consumers. This is the time for small players in the UAS arena to think big.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Dr. Ella Atkins for providing me information about the Flying Fish.

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The Core Communications and Networks Laboratory (CoNNekT Lab) at School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), is a newly established research lab under the guidance of Dr. Saad Qaisar, a Michigan State University alum. The lab currently focuses on a diverse set of areas ranging from efficient multimedia coding and communication for telecom networks to e-health monitoring solutions and medical devices. The lab’s focus is on both applied and theoretical research. For theoretical research, the emphasis is on multimedia communications over packet networks; compressed sensing; video coding and communications over the Internet and wireless networks; modeling and analysis of the stochastic behavior of communication networks, applied information theory and network optimization. For applied research, lab’s particular focus is to improve the quality of life for low-income households in developing world through the creation and implementation of low cost technologies.

The lab’s applied research approaches also aim at envisioning the impact of emerging technologies at problems that have relevance to both developed as well as developing world. There is a strong emphasis in the lab to look for ideas that have relevance in above context and convert them into finished products that can compete in both local and international markets. Ideally situated at NUST-SEECS with access to fine human resource and research infrastructure available in Pakistan and a knowledge of both developed industrialized world as well as developing world, it provides an ideal candidate for joint ventures between Pakistani academia and expatriates. The research activities of the lab are being funded by a start-up grant from NUST. Below, we have provided a summary of few activities @ CoNNekT Lab in health-care domain though lab has a wider application domain.

Wearable Health Monitoring System

Health-care has become a key constituent of the architecture of contemporary societies, however, all over the world health-care systems are clearly not performing as well as they could and as they should. People are increasingly impatient with the inability of health services to deliver levels of national coverage that meet stated demands and changing needs, and with their failure to provide services in ways that correspond to their expectations. Few would disagree that health systems need to respond better – and faster – to the challenges of a changing world. There is a growing shortage of health-care facilities worldwide, whereas the number of people requiring access to a hospital is increasing. In Pakistan there are only 8 physicians, 5 nurses and 10 hospital beds for every 10,000 in Pakistan. The result is that patients are receiving lesser than recommended care. This requires an approach that would “put people at the center of health care” by using technology as an enabler for providing effective care.

Researchers at CoNNekT Lab in collaboration with Telemedicine and e-Health Training Center, Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi are addressing health-care issues by developing a context-aware, ubiquitous system that monitors health conditions of patients in a patch form factor. The system  would be as easy to use as applying a band-aid. It would collect real-time information regarding the medical condition of patients in an unobtrusive manner both inside and outside the hospital. This collected information is pre-processed locally and then transmitted to a central station. In this way, health-care professionals have continuous access to their patient’s physiological state which allows them to respond in a better way to changing conditions. The work focuses both on device designs as well as associated signal acquisition, processing and inference. Currently, the work is being funded by NUST start-up grant and a full-fledged system level design is under review with National ICT R&D Fund.

Wireless Neonatal Care

At the Millennium Summit 2000, through the unanimous adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, all 192 United Nations member states recognized the importance of reducing child mortality. The target set for achieving this goal was to reduce by two thirds, the under-five child mortality rate between 1990 and 2015. However, in 2008 it was reported that despite progress, deaths of children under five remain unacceptably high. Furthermore, a child born in a developing country is over 13 times more likely to die within the first five years of life than a child born in an industrialized country and thirty-seven per cent (37%) of under-five deaths occur in the first month of life. Currently Pakistan ranks as the 28th country with a staggering 67.36 deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births.

Neonatal care is a specialty area of pediatrics that deals with the care of newborn babies, especially those in critical situations. Most babies in neonatal care are born premature or before their due date. Many babies born a month or more early won’t have fully developed lungs, and if a newborn baby is less than five pounds at birth, he/she will probably have to stay in neonatal care until sufficient weight gain is achieved. Researchers at CoNNekT Lab are developing an unobtrusive system that would allow continuous monitoring of the neonate without the need for connecting wires. This system would record vital parameters of the neonate and transmit that information wirelessly to a central server. The use of ubiquitous health monitoring systems can improve neonatal care and save countless newborns by overcoming the shortcomings of Pakistan’s health-care infrastructure. The project is currently in prototype stage and under review with Higher Education Commission, Pakistan for complete funding.

Airway Inflammation monitoring

One of the leading chronic diseases affecting more than half a billion people worldwide is asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The need to monitor airway inflammation in asthma, has led to the development of a number of noninvasive methods of assessment, including analysis of cells and cell products in sputum samples collected by means of induced sputum stimulation, as well as the measurement of exhaled markers and soluble mediators obtained from exhaled breath condensates. Recently, exhaled air temperature has also been suggested as a noninvasive method for the evaluation of airway inflammation in asthma. Doctors are particularly interested in exhaled air temperature in hot climates. Currently available devices are expensive on one hand and at the other hand the design does not cater for the hot climate of Pakistan.

Researchers at CoNNekT lab are working on designing an economical device that can scale to masses, accurately provides markers for asthma monitoring and is suitable for use in the warm climate of Pakistan.

Hierarchical Clustering for Wireless Sensor Networks

The energy constrained nature of wireless sensor nodes, large multi-hop Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) must be organized in a way that enables scalable routing, data aggregation, and querying. In order to minimize the effort involved in the deployment and maintenance of a large WSN, it is highly desirable that the organization should be maintainable with minimal human intervention. The communication cost between nodes is much higher as compared to computation cost. One-to-one communication between all the nodes depletes their energy quickly which otherwise can be utilized for useful computations. A complex network of sensor nodes can be simplified using clusters.

Researchers at CoNNekT lab are developing energy efficient cluster selection mechanisms which would help increase the lifetime of sensor nodes and aid in development of a multi-tier sensor network architecture. (See here for publications)

Distributed Video Coding for Wireless Sensor Networks

Distributed video coding, a well established paradigm, refers to separate encoding at the sensor nodes and joint decoding at the base-station. It is suitable for visual sensor networks due to lower power consumption of encoding algorithm. The challenges include limited power and processing capabilities of sensor platform.

Researchers at CoNNekT lab aim is to develop a practical framework of robust and energy efficient multimedia (image/video) transmission over wireless visual sensor networks.

Safety Assurance in High Stress Environments

Pakistan is a country blessed with very rich underground mineral resources. New areas are continuously being explored with possible mineral deposits. According to some sources, country’s more than 6,00,000 sq.kms of outcrops area demonstrates varied geological potential for metallic/non-metallic mineral deposit. In the recent past, exploration by government agencies as well as by multinational mining companies presents ample evidence of the occurrences of sizable minerals deposits. Recent discoveries of a thick oxidized zone underlain by sulfide zones in the shield area of the Punjab province, covered by thick alluvial cover have opened new vistas for metallic minerals exploration. Furthermore, the discovery of coal deposits having over 175 billion tons of reserves at Thar in the Sindh province has given an impetus to develop it as an alternate source of energy.

Researchers at CoNNekT lab are developing a safety assurance system for high stress environments such as underground mines and oil & gas installations. The developed system would be used for monitoring the presence and/or concentration of toxic gases of harsh environments, monitoring structural integrity, detecting the collapse in case of accidents and localizing the collapses as well. The project is a joint venture between CoNNekT lab, NUST (Principal Investigator) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The funding for the project is under review with National ICT R&D Fund.

For further information on CoNNekT Lab, you may like to contact: connektlab at seecs.edu.pk or lab director directly: saad.qaisar at seecs.edu.pk

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Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has revolutionized surgical care and treatment by reducing trauma to the patient, decreasing the need for pain medication, shortening recovery times and hospital stays, and improving cosmetic results. Laparoscopic surgery is accomplished by gaining access to the abdominal cavity, visualizing the cavity using a laparoscope, and performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.  The term “laparoscopy” comes from the Greek words “laparo” (the flank) and “skopein” (to examine). As surgeons became skilled in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, they began to use laparoscopy to perform other advanced abdominal operations.

Surgical techniques have rapidly evolved in the past few decades because of the advent of electronics and computers in the area of medicine. Traditionally, surgical procedures were primarily based on creating wide incisions into the human body.  Over the years, this kind of conventional open surgery has evolved to laparoscopic or Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), where operations in the abdomen area are performed using very small incisions (typically 0.5–1.5 cm), as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Traditional vs. Minimally invasive Surgery

MIS or laparoscopic surgery involves less pain, as the chances of damaging tissues are almost negligible when compared to the traditional open surgery methodologies. Tissue damage is the major cause for post-operative complications and thus MIS facilitates quick patient recovery and avoids long hospital stays. Moreover, the chances of post-surgery infections are also minimized due to the use of smaller incisions.  These factors lead to a reduction in the usage of pain medication and hospital stays for the patients, which in-turn lowers the health care costs significantly.

Laparoscopic surgery relies heavily upon various electronic and mechanical tools to assist the surgeons in performing all surgical procedures within the constraints of the smaller incisions. The recent advancements in the area of robotics have also been utilized and, nowadays, robots are utilized to aid surgeons in MIS. Controlling a set of robotic arms, surgeons can operate on patients while sitting in front of their computer consoles, receiving high definition video feedback. This way, not only is the accuracy of surgical procedures significantly improved but the fatigue factor for surgeons may also be reduced.

Due to the above-mentioned benefits of robotics-based laparoscopic surgery, more and more countries are adopting these techniques. The biggest challenge towards this trend being that surgeons are still accustomed to the traditional ways and need to go through extensive training procedures before using laparoscopic and robotic surgery techniques. Acquiring such expertise is not very straightforward because

• It is unethical to learn and practice skills in the operation theater (OT),
• It is impossible to master laparoscopic surgical skills, like hand eye coordination and depth perception, while practicing on an animal or any other object.

Computer-based simulators have been proposed as a solution to this problem and nowadays are being widely used for training purposes in the west. These simulators allow surgeons to practice their skills in a virtual environment over and over again until a certain level of expertise is acquired after which they can start practicing in OTs with the help of experts. The problem with such simulators is their enormous cost, e.g., state-of-the-art simulators for laparoscopic surgery, like LapSim and ProMIS, cost thousands of dollars, which makes their wide-spread usage in developing countries, like Pakistan, very difficult. Commercial Minimal Invasive Surgical simulators like LapSim costs start from $50,000. A commercial surgical like daVinci costs $1.5 to 2 million, whereas a training system for robotic surgery starts from around $100,000. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, Dr Asif Zafar’s Telemedicine and eHealth Training Center at the Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, is the only center in Pakistan that has acquired such simulators and thus maintains the sole training lab for MIS.

School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (SEECS) at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in collaboration with Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi is trying to solve this problem by developing a cost-effective training system for laparoscopic and robotic surgery in Pakistan. The proposed system, illustrated in Fig. 2, includes a simulator for MIS and a set of robotic arms controlled over a network for practicing robotic surgery from several remote machines at distant locations.

Figure 2: Proposed MIS Training System

The proposed system can be divided into three main modules. A simulator for laparoscopic training, a set of input controls to manipulate the laparoscopic instruments within the simulator and a set of robotic arms that will be controlled using these input controls. The surgeon will be able to physically manipulate objects using the robotic arms. The same exercises would be performed in a virtual environment in a simulator and then performed in reality using the robotic arms. This will allow the user to not only practice for laparoscopic surgery but also for robotic surgery. The key behind the cost-effectiveness of our new proposed system of training is the usage of open-source tools and libraries for software development and the availability talented human resources in Pakistan.

The system will have a minimal invasive surgery simulator, a robotic surgery simulator as well as emulator (a set of robotic arms working over a mannequin) and input controls with haptic feedback. For the simulator, real life complications and videos of laparoscopic surgery collected by Holy Family Hospital, will be simulated in the simulator. Therefore the training system will have basic as well as advanced training.

For the robotic arms, commercial systems like daVinci have custom robotic arms with custom laparoscopic instruments. We will be designing our robotic arms around conventional laparoscopic instruments (which are mass produced in Sialkot) that will lead to a very cost effective system. Our design will significantly reduce the costs and would be totally new and built from scratch.

This project is being funded by Ministry of Information Technology’s National ICT R&D fund and is expected to be completed by June 2013. Once developed, all major hospitals of Pakistan would be able to acquire these training facilities at a very affordable price, which would certainly improve the health care facilities in Pakistan.

Historically, Sialkot has been a center for developing and exporting surgical instruments all over the world. As surgery has moved towards MIS and robotics assisted techniques, Pakistan’s surgical instrument industry has not been able to keep pace with the global competition. Its sales for 2008-2009 were $250 Million. Through this project, know how for design, development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art surgical tools will be transferred to the Sialkot industry through the joint efforts of Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi and NUST Islamabad. These commercialization opportunities will in turn lead to a large number of highly skilled knowledge workers in Sialkot, Pakistan.

A good overview of laparoscopic surgery can be seen in this video.

About the authors

Dr Asif Zafar is one of the pioneers of Ehealth, Tele-medicine and MinimaI Invasive Surgical methods in Pakistan. He is the joint Project Director for this project and has numerous funded projects completed in various fields under his belt. His work for the 2005 Earthquake relief in Pakistan was recognized the world over including ITU, who signed an MOU with his team to share their expertise in case of similar earthquakes around the world. Dr Asif is currently the Professor of Surgery (Rawalpindi Medical College), director of Telemedicine and eHealth Training Center and Head of Surgical Unit II at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi.

Osman Hasan has a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University Canada. He is the project director for this initiative. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, NUST and leads the research group SAVE.

Shamyl Bin Mansoor has an Electrical Engineering & Computer Science degree from Seoul National University, South Korea. He is a recipient 2 year MS scholarship by HEC and a 1 year research grant from Korea Research Foundation. Currently he is a lecturer at School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, NUST, and leads the research group SMART lab.

For those interested in pursuing this further can contact Dr. Arshad Ali (arshad.ali@seecsc.edu.pk) or Dr Asif Zafar (azmalik@hotmail.com).

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Core technologies and capabilities that drive the economies take a long time, large amounts of money and even bigger patience to bear fruit. But once they mature, the rewards are well worth the effort.  Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers” makes a similar case for outstanding achievers, that it is more of their earlier start than their brains that make them excel. It is sustained practice of ones art or profession that over the period of time blossoms into an unsurpassed  ability.  Developing countries typically try to shy away from making investments in longer gestation technologies and therefore commit themselves to the path of perpetually playing catchup with developed countries. This is a story of a jet engine that propelled Air Forces possessing it into an unrivaled position.

J-79

In 1952, Gerhard Neumann, a German-born US-citizen, began development of what became one of the most successful military jet engines to enter production. The General Electric J79 was the first US single-shaft high performance axial flow turbojet, with adjustable guide vanes, a 17-stage compressor, three-stage turbine and ten can-type burners.  The first flight of the engine was on 20 May 1955 where the engine was placed in the bomb bay of a J47-powered B-45C . The J79 was lowered from the bomb bay and the four J47s were shut down leaving the B-45 flying on the single J79. The J79 was developed as an outgrowth of the General Electric J73 engine program and was known at first as the J73-GE-X24A. The X24A was designed for reliable Mach 2 performance with minimal required maintenance. Its innovative variable stator vanes increased compressor air pressure and helped eliminate compressor stall. Variable-incidence stators allowed the single-shaft turbojet to develop high pressures similar to those of dual-shaft engines, but at significantly lighter weight. The introduction of the variable stator vane turned out to be one of the most important developments in the history of jet aircraft engines.

More than 17,000 examples of the J79 were built in its thirty-year production run. In its long and successful career the dependable J79 accumulated well over 30 million flying hours and probably clocked more supersonic flying time than any other Western military aircraft engine produced during the Cold War. It was widely used on several types of aircraft, including the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Convair B-58 Hustler, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Israeli Aircraft Industries Kfir, and North American Rockwell A-5 Vigilante. It was just over seventeen feet long, slightly more than three feet in diameter, weighed around 3,500 pounds, and produced around 9,000 pounds of dry thrust. In full afterburner the YJ79 generated around 15,000 pounds of thrust with a fuel flow rate of ten gallons per second. Later versions of the J79 weighed anywhere from 3,500 to 3,800 pounds and produced up to 17,900 pounds of thrust in full afterburner. This engine was chosen by Kelly Johnson to power his design of F-104 Starfighter.

Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson

Kelly Johnson joined Lockheed Corporation in 1933 as a tool designer. After assignments as flight test engineer, stress analyst, aero-dynamicist, weight engineer, and wind tunnel engineer, he became Chief Research Engineer in 1938. His original and creative thinking led to the development of many innovations in the aerospace industry. He contributed significantly to 40 different Lockheed airplane designs. Of these, 19 were primarily Johnson products, some of the best known aircraft in the world; the Hudson bomber, the Constellation and Super-Constellation transports, the P-38 fighter, the T-33 trainer, the F-94 interceptor, and the Jetstar. The first U.S. production jet, the F-80 Shooting Star which made its initial flight in 1944, set a pattern for Johnson and his co-workers. Managing Lockheed’s Advanced Development Projects Division (The “Skunk Works“), he developed the first double-sonic U.S. jet, the F-104 Starfighter, the high flying U-2 spy plane, and the super fast Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird.

He was not only one of the world’s foremost designers, but he was an innovative manager who gave people who worked for him challenges to constantly create better products. Johnson instinctively knew how to select people for his organization. He knew how to get the most out of the fewest people and how to get the job done—well. He let his managers run their programs with a minimum of interference. As a man of high integrity himself, Johnson expected complete honesty from the people of the Skunk Works. Mistakes were allowed, but they were to be brought to his attention immediately. And Kelly also expected recommendations to correct mistakes. His early experience in metal machining acquired during summer jobs in auto plants proved invaluable in working the heat-resistant titanium sheets needed for the SR-71’s tough skin, which heats up to cherry red temperatures of 630° F. during flight. Johnson deplored the trend toward specialization with the lament of a designer who also knows how to handle machine tools. “Some of the fellows in the Skunk Works never had any cutting oil splashed on them.”

During the Korean Was, Lockheed whisked Johnson to war-zone forward air bases in Korea to talk to fighter pilots as they returned from their missions against the Soviet fighters flown by the north. What did they want in a new fighter aircraft? The answer was simple: speed and altitude. Appropriately, Johnson’s response was also simple. Build a pilot’s fighter which did not compromise on performance, one which could outmatch anything in the Soviet arsenal including the MiG-15.

F-104 StarFighter

The resulting design would carry one powerful, multi-barreled gun, a simple radar gun sight, a pair of the new heat-seeking Sidewinder missiles then under development for the US Navy, be powered by a single, potent engine and fly higher and faster than anything in service anywhere. What’s more, it would be affordable. Ultimate performance for the new fighter meant low drag and high power. Abandoning the swept-wing twin-engine concept of the Lockheed XF-90 which had been developed from the massive German research data captured by the Allies at the end of world war II, the Skunk Works team settled upon a straight wing of very slender section. Its exceedingly thin leading edge and minimum camber would decrease shock waves and give relief from the weight and complexity of swept wings. However, the wing would have to be considerably thinner than five per cent, and the only answer to producing such a thin, straight wing was to make it extremely short. It had incredibly small knife-edged wings, sharply drooped to improve stability, a long, needle-nosed fuselage, a tall “T” tail, and open, half-circle intakes behind the cockpit. It was so futuristic in appearance it was soon dubbed by the Lockheed marketing department, “the missile with a man in it”.

The shortness of the wing also enabled the aircraft to reduce drag. In order to achieve a better low speed performance for the wing, Lockheed engineers installed wing-leading edge as well as trailing-edge flaps. The function of these flaps was to convert the thin airfoil into a highly cambered one for better take-off and landing operations. A newly designed Boundary Layer Control System (BLCS) was installed of the F-104. The BLCS allowed the aircraft’s wings to delay flow separation at full flap setting and helped to increase the aircraft’s lift capacity, using high pressure bleed air blown over the trailing edge of the wing. The F-104 was one of the few aircraft in aviation history with more engine thrust than aerodynamic drag. This margin of thrust gave the F-104 it’s high speed capability and altitude performance. It also invested the aircraft with an uncanny ability to ascend at a steeper angle and with a higher climb rate than anything else in the skies. The climb rate was one of Johnson’s primary concerns in developing the Starfighter. He and his team designed the F-104 with the ability to intercept targets at an impressive climb rate of 60,000 ft per minute, with a fully loaded aircraft. This rate could be achieved with speeds in excess of Mach 1.7, the original profile requirement, without the aircraft losing overall forward speed. Overall speed and climb rate for the F-104 could only be achieved with the utilization of a massive power plant. The F-104 was fitted with a General Electric J79 engine capable of generating 15,800 pounds of thrust at sea level. It was a massive structure that weighed 3,500lb and was 17′-3″ in length. Due to the adjustable pitch of the guide vanes and its power, the howling noise of the jet engine was quite unique. The video link  below gives you a sense of its sheer power and speed.

Pakistan Air Force & F-104

When Khruschev threatened to drop a nuclear bomb on Peshawer after the U-2 incident, PAF acquired a dozen F-104s to protect the city from high flying Soviet bombers. At PAF’s request, all its F-104As were refitted with the M-61 Gatling 20   mm gun, whereas its counterparts in the USAF had been divested of their   guns on the assumption that all post-Korea air combat would occur at  high speeds where only the wing tip-mounted Sidewinder missiles would be   effective. The PAF’s foresight was amply rewarded in actual combat and   the USAF too reverted to having machine guns as mandatory equipment on all its fighters in due course. The newer GWE- J-79-11 engine was also   installed on the aircraft. This made the Pakistan F-104s somewhat   unique: they had the gun and being the lightest of F-104 series with a more advanced J-79 engine enjoyed the best thrust-to-weight ratio.

The only PAF unit to be equipped with the F-104 was No 9 Air Superiority Squadron. The squadron flies the F-16 today. The in-commission rate of   the F-104 during the first five years of service was over 80 % and all   its systems performed with high reliability. The fighter was employed in   the air-to-air role by the PAF and was used extensively for aerial gunnery against both banner targets and the Dart targets with excellent scores. In strafing attacks the M-61 gun was superbly accurate.

The F-104 Starfighters remained in service with Pakistan Air Force for twelve years and flew 11,690 hours. During the 1965 Pakistan-India War, the F-104s flew a total of 246 hours and 45 minutes while during the 1971 War, the F-104s flew a total of 103 hours and forty-five minutes.

My personal experience of watching the speed and sound of F-104 happened in the mid 60s when PAF provided an air display on Pakistan Day at Peshawar Air Base. Many of the jets were lined up on the airfield on a crisp cool morning. To demonstrate the high altitude intercept capability, an intruder B-57 was sent up first. After some other demonstrations it was announced that the intruder has been detected and two F-104 thundered near vertically off the run way. Soon after the contrails of the intruder and two much faster contrails of F-104s performing an intercept could be visibly seen by the awed spectators.

To give you a better feel for the performance of F-104s with PAF I have taken the liberty of attaching some extracts by

Wg Cdr Aftab Alam Khan, Pakistan Air Force (Retd)

Introduction

This is a personal account of the crucial role played by the dozen F-104 Starfighters of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the Indo-Pakistan War of September 1965. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had then approximately 900 aircraft against PAF’s total of only 150. To win the battle for air superiority against these odds was a daunting task. Losing air superiority would have meant that Pakistan would have had to face the full might of the IAF, the consequences of which would have been disastrous. It was therefore imperative, that the PAF won and kept control of the air.

Induction of the Starfighter in the PAF

Sqn Ldr Sadruddin and Flt Lt Middlecoat landed the first Starfighters at PAF Base Sargodha in 1962. In the following months, Pakistan inducted a total of 10 F-104A and two dual seat F-104B training aircraft in No 9 Squadron. These were USAF F-104C aircraft refurbished and updated with the latest J-79-11A engine, and upward ejection seats. Equipped with the M-61 Vulcan six barrel gun, the AIM-9B Sidewinder missile and the AN/ASG-14T1 fire control system, the aircraft was designed for high altitude (above 5000 feet), day /night interception/combat. Pakistan was the first country in Asia to induct a Mach 2 aircraft into its airforce. While most countries in Europe were still flying subsonic aircraft and none in Asia had an aircraft of this class and technology, many in Pakistan and abroad were skeptical of the PAF’s ability to fly and maintain this advanced system. The PAF’s flying skills, technological prowess, and competence, were soon proven. The pilots and ground crew of No.9 Squadron, who had been handpicked from F-86 squadrons, became the envy of the PAF by gaining mastery of the aircraft. To be part of No.9 Squadron, the cream of the PAF, was a great honour and privilege. In 1964 I was lucky to be given this honor. Sqn Ldr Jamal A Khan, the Squadron Commander was a very dedicated officer who set and maintained high standards. Training and flying in this Squadron was hard work. Safety always came first.

The J-79-11A engine was sophisticated and complicated. It had inlet guide vanes in front of the engine, and a variable nozzle system in the rear. These were liable to fail, but the PAF maintenance crew had mastered the equipment. We only had one engine flame out, and the pilot Flt Lt Khalid managed to make a ‘dead stick’ landing. This was a difficult maneuver requiring precise judgement. The pattern was flown at 240kts and the landing flare started 300 ft above ground level, to make a touch down at 190 kt, on a 9000 feet long runway. Only one F-104 was lost during training -- a training air combat sortie -- in which Flt Lt Asghar ‘pitched up’, and went into a spin. He ejected safely at high speed, and received major bruises. The aircraft was replaced under the MAP program. Operational training was fun. Flying at Mach 2 was an incomparable experience. The thrill of coming under radar control, attacking F-86 formations, that were denied radar help, was a fighter pilot’s dream come true. The F-104 zoomed out of nowhere, and before the F-86 pilots could start their defensive maneuvers, the F-104 had completed its simulated missile launch and was breaking off.

Early in 1965, warlike activity started in the disputed territory of Indian held Kashmir. Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nur Khan had taken command of the PAF, just before the war. These were the days when we would be briefed daily, ‘under no account should any IAF aircraft be pursued across the border, if an aircraft is shot down, the wreckage must fall within Pakistani territory’. This was done to ensure that India would not be provoked into escalating to an all out war. All the concentration was along the disputed territory of Kashmir. On 3rd September 1965 an IAF Gnat was flying over Pakistan, on its way to its home base. A lone F- 104 was vectored to intercept the aircraft. Closing in at supersonic speed, the F-104 crossed the Gnat. There was no chance of making a successful intercept. But the Gnat pilot, probably thinking that there were more aircraft in the area, promptly lowered his gears and landed at a disused Pakistani airfield below, and surrendered himself. At that time, few thought that there was any chance of a real war breaking out. Life went on as usual. The routine was that a daily morning Combat Air patrol (CAP) would be airborne well before dawn. The F-104 formation would climb to 30, 000 feet, patrol the area near Kashmir and land back one hour after sunrise.

The War

The balloon went up on the morning of 6th September 1965. I got airborne with my wingman on a CAP mission. We climbed out under radar control, and were directed to the border near Kashmir. I was informed that the IAF had crossed the Pakistani border and were attacking ground positions approximately 80nm south of us. This meant that India had actually decided to start an all out war. We were immediately vectored to the area, and were soon over the site where the Indian aircraft were attacking. While dawn was breaking at 15,000 feet, it was still dark down below. I asked for permission to descend to ground level, but was denied. The reason given was that radio contact would be lost. I, however, decided to descend and leaving my wingman at 15,000 feet, to act as radio relay, I dove down and headed towards some flashes. As I reached the area, I was surprised to see that I was flying head-on into a formation of four IAF Mystere IV aircraft that were attacking ground targets. I was shocked more than I was surprised, as I felt a wave of anger leap through me. I had to shoot down these aircraft. I jettisoned my external fuel tanks and started to engage the Mysteres, as they turned into me. Maneuvering started at tree top level. I kept my eyes ‘glued’ on the target. I could feel the strain, under high ‘G’s’, looking over the tail of the aircraft, keeping the enemy in sight, and skimming the trees at high speed. One mistake, and I would have hit the ground. If I had lost sight of the Mysteres, the fight would have been over. The F-104, with the afterburner blazing, at low altitude, was responding very well. I used the high speed take -off Flaps to improve the turning capability as required. The ‘Stick Shaker’ was a big help, in flying the aircraft to its limit. The Mysteres would have no problem keeping the F-104 in sight because of its afterburner. After some hectic maneuvering, I was positioned behind two aircraft, but the other two were still not visible. I then spotted them, further ahead. Joy leapt through me; I armed my weapons, and decided to shoot the first two with missiles and the next two with guns. I fully realized that a confidential order prohibited me from using the missiles below 10, 000 ft. However, I was sure the missiles could be used effectively at any height, provided the targets could be discriminated from background heat sources. A distinct increase in missile tone ensured this. I set the wingspan of the Mystere IV, and started to recall the missile-firing checklist. ‘Check Range’, ‘Check Tone’, ‘Check G’s’, ‘Squeeze the trigger and hold’. I aimed the missile at the nearest aircraft, and heard the loud pitched missile tone. The sight indicated that I was in range. With all other requisite firing conditions met, I squeezed the trigger, and kept it pressed. I waited, only to note that the missile had not fired. As I looked towards the left missile, I saw a big flash, and the missile leaving the aircraft. The missile had taken, as stipulated in the manual, approx. 8/10ths of a second to fire after the trigger had been pressed but in combat, this seemed like an eternity. The flash of the missile blinded me for a few seconds. The radar controller who was also monitoring the radio of the Mystere’s, immediately informed me that one Mystere had been shot down and that another had been damaged. I was then at once instructed to turn right and pick up visual contact with the other Mysteres, which were exiting. I turned as directed but could not see them.

On landing back, I was informed that the dog fight had taken place overhead the Rahwali Airfield where a low powered radar was located. The Mystere’s wreckage had fallen close by; the other three had gotten away. It gave me great satisfaction and amusement to think the effect that would be created on the IAF when the tale of the encounter with, ‘the F-104′ was narrated by the pilots who got away. To quote Hussaini, the PAF’s official aviation painter, ‘Apart from being the first encounter to start the war in earnest, the engagement was also significant in other respects. It marked a new era in dogfighting at very low altitude. It was also the first combat kill by any Mach 2 aircraft and the first missile kill for the Pakistan Air Force’. Moreover, it was also proven that the F-104 and the Sidewinder missile were an effective weapon system at low altitude.

India had launched a full-scale attack, and we were now at war. India had the advantage of the aggressor, but had failed to take advantage of the ‘first strike’. The PAF now had to counter attack. The Air Chief arrived on the base. As I saw him he looked confident, and very aggressive. He was a genius; his planning was only surpassed by his boldness in execution. He had to fight 900 Indian aircraft with his 150. What could he do? The odds were impossible. He immediately gave instructions to reconnoiter (recce) the forward IAF air bases of Halwara and Adampur with the F-104. The pilots returned to report that the airfields had a full compliment of aircraft. He then enquired how many aircraft were available for a ‘dusk attack’. He was told that only seven F-86’s were serviceable. He ordered four to attack the IAF Base of Adampur, and three to attack Halwara Air Base. The plan appeared absurd. Attacking an airfield with only four aircraft and three aircraft respectively, after a recce .The enemy would be waiting. The attack was sure to fail. Subordinate commanders tried to convince the Chief to withdraw the order. None of us could appreciate the reason behind his logic. Command is lonely, and it takes courage to stand by one’s convictions. The Chief stood firm. The ‘dusk attack’ was launched.

Of the seven PAF F-86 aircraft that took part in the ‘Dusk Strike’ two were shot down. The PAF kept attacking the IAF bases all night with B-57 bombers. The Air Chief hoped that the IAF would retaliate next morning, and attack the main PAF fighter base Sargodha that was 90 nm from the border. Radar was not effective at low altitude; therefore, the PAF had a string of Mobile Observer Units (MOU’s), that could plot and report low flying aircraft in Pakistani territory. Since the IAF attack was expected at low level, it would not be a surprise for the PAF. The only question now was, whether the IAF would take the bait, and attack Sargodha. Early next morning, on 7th September 1965, a large number of PAF F-104 and F-86 aircraft set up a Combat Air Patrol (CAP), over /near Sargodha, waiting for the enemy to attack. The F-104s were assigned the outer perimeter, while the F-86s were kept closer to the airfield. The Mobile Observer Units started to report the incoming intruders as they crossed the border and headed for Sargodha. The anti-aircraft guns opened fire as the first group of attacking aircraft came in. Surprisingly, these planes got through, without being intercepted. The next attack was picked up by Flt Lt Arif Iqbal in a F-104, and as he was about to fire, he suddenly saw an F- 86 flight appear between him and the enemy, and shoot down the Mystere. The attacks then came wave after wave, each one being intercepted, mostly by F-86’s, because they were positioned closer to the airfield. Flt Lt Amjad, in a F-104, shot down a Mystere, only to fly into the debris of the exploding aircraft. He ejected safely. By noon all attacks had ceased. The ‘Battle for Sargodha’ had been won. Never again in this war did the IAF venture to attack Sargodha in daytime. AVM Nur Khan had scored; the genius and courage of his plan had worked, his main air defence assets were safe.

The pilots of No.9 Squadron competed fiercely, to undertake as many combat missions as they could. Never missing a chance to close with the enemy, hungry for combat. In the days that followed, the F-104 pilots noted that whenever they got airborne, the IAF grounded all its aircraft. This made it very difficult for the F-104 pilots to engage the enemy during daytime hours. Flt Lt Mushtaq, my brother, flying a F-104 in the same Squadron, made contact with the enemy, only to note that as he approached the target, the IAF Hunters disengaged well in time. Flt Lt ‘Micky’ Abbas in an F-104 had a similar episode. This experience would be repeated for the F-104 pilots for all daytime interceptions. I personally patrolled in a lone F-104, at 30,000ft, deep inside Indian territory, over the two Indian fighter airfields of Adampur and Halwara for one hour, and there was no response from the Indian side, no IAF fighter aircraft were scrambled to engage the intruder leisurely loitering over Indian airbases. This was total air superiority, and it displayed the complete and utter supremacy the Starfighter enjoyed over the IAF.

At medium and high altitudes the F-104 ruled the sky. The IAF refused to challenge the Starfighter, keeping at a safe arm’s length distance from challenging it. But below 5000ft, a fierce battle raged between the F-86 and the IAF fighters, mainly the Hunters and Gnats. The F-86 was the workhorse of the PAF, it was under-powered, outnumbered, and out-gunned. Nevertheless, the F-86 pilots showed great courage as they fearlessly engaged their opponents, and displayed an unusual skill for air combat, achieving an excellent kill ratio. The F-104 by controlling the sky at medium and high altitude, had reduced the workload for the F-86 ’s to the extent that the disparity in numbers was manageable. The F-86’s could now hold their own against the enemy at low altitude. The F-104/F-86 team had won the battle for the air. The PAF had fully established air superiority. The job had been done; numbers did not matter now. The will of the enemy to fight the F-104 had been broken. It was a tremendous contribution by the F-104 in the war effort. The Starfighter reigned supreme. It had played a pivotal role in the defense of Pakistan, and the battle for air supremacy by the PAF.

Tribute to the Starfighter

Pakistan got the better of the IAF, with odds of 1:6 or 150:900, and the PAF maintained Air Superiority, day and night. The genius and courage of Air Marshal Nur Khan and the F-104/F-86 team had made this possible. Undoubtedly, the F-86 was the workhorse, but the F-104 had a very special task. The PAFpilot/F-104 team had created a situation where the IAF pilots did not have the will to fight the F-104. When the F-104 was ‘UP’, the Indian Air Force was ‘Down on the Ground’. This removed a major portion of the threat. The Starfighter and its pilots had contributed immensely to achieve this victory. The pilots by flying and engaging enemy aircraft very aggressively, never losing any opportunity to engage the enemy, by day or by night. Working long hours, and flying under difficult flight conditions. The maintenance crew and the F-104 deserve a special accolade, ‘not one technical abort, or snag affected a mission’. The F-104 was flown by determined pilots, maintained by efficient crew and supported by dedicated radar controllers. This made a tremendous team, that helped win the battle for air superiority for the PAF. The F-104 Starfighter was in a class of its own-’Superlative’, to say the least. Without the dozen Starfighters the outcome of the war might not have been so good. ‘It definitely was a pleasure, a great thrill, and the ultimate experience to fly the F-104 in Combat’.

The Engine is the Core Competence

The point of this longish post is the elucidate the importance of the core competency achieved by this amazing engine.  A dozen fighters equipped with this engine were able to dominate a much larger air force. While it is true that PAF pilots effectively mastered the art of flying a difficult plane and used it to its full potential, it can be argued that had IAF had this plane, they could equally well have had an upper hand.  Kelly Johnson was able to wrap a plane around this engine to create a master piece, that could even today give any fighter a run for the money with the right avionics and weapons upgrades at medium and high altitudes. But this engine proved equally effective in Phantom, a plane not designed by Kelly.

This lesson has been effectively applied by countries like Finland, Israel and Brazil. Finland has a disproportionate market share of cell phone market. Similarly Israel focused their investments in unmanned aircraft vehicles and are now reaping the benefits in this market of the future. Brazil competes on equal footing with US and European countries in the sales of business jets.

Developing countries like Pakistan should focus on core technologies of the future so that they too can compete with the best and reap the benefits.

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