BAJAJ DISCOVER 100T

Building a brand around its products has always been the ethos at Bajaj Auto as can be seen from the legacy of the Pulsar which has carved out a niche for itself in the Indian motorcycle space amassing a sizable number of followers over the last decade and firmly gripping over 40 per cent market share in the 150cc and above class of motorcycles sold in the country.

That said, the gains don’t simply end at the Pulsar marque. The trickle-down effect has benefited other products from Bajaj Auto’s model range as well, especially the Discover series which has eventually consumed the Pulsar genes seeping into its structure from time to time without losing its econo-centric mindset but instead using it for shaping of the Discover brand, a moniker now synonymous with value-for-money notwithstanding what echelon of the Indian motorcycling spectrum it plies in.

And the strongest support to this argument came last year in September when the Discover 100 DTS-Si surpassed the Hero MotoCorp's blue-eyed boy, the Splendor, to bag the honour of world's largest selling motorcycle, with sales totalling to 1.22 lakh against Splendor's 1.21 lakh in that month. However, the Chakan-based bike-maker sees it only as job half done and is now looking forward to build on the Discover brand’s existing eminence to raise the bar higher by the means of empowering the everyday commuter with technology and style. Offer the average Joe something which he should have been handed eons ago.

Bajaj Auto’s launch spree continues and now there is a new Discover on the block, it’s the Discover 100T, a motorcycle based on the Discover 125 ST platform. The Bajaj Discover 100T shares identical aesthetics but there are differences to chassis, suspension and engine and a new nomenclature “T” which stands for touring. We take a quick spin and find out what the most technological advanced 100cc motorcycle promises to the commuter.

Styling – The Discover 100T aesthetics are identical to the Discover 125 ST. The tank, headlight, seat, side panels, wheels are all the same. However it has few changes which will help distinguish the two siblings. The half chain case is replaced by the full chain guard, the Nitrox suspension replaces the monoshock and the conventional long mudguard at the rear instead of the split mudguard is seen on the 125 ST. This ends up giving the Discover 100T a feeling of a much larger motorcycle irrespective of the engine capacity. The 125 ST is already mistaken for a 150cc motorcycle, which itself says a lot.

Ergonomics – The seating position of the Bajaj Discover 100T is upright and not so wide handle bar gives the rider a comfortable riding position. The rear view mirrors give a good view of what is behind to almost any sized rider. Seats have superior cushioning for pillion and the rider. The knee recesses are accommodating and make you feel attached to the motorcycle which evokes confidence while exploring dynamics of this motorcycle.

Instrument Cluster and Switch Gear – The three pod instrument cluster of the Discover 100T is identical to its elder sibling. The speedometer with integrated odometer, trip meter, shift light, high beam, turn indicator, battery indicator are all present and standard on the motorcycle. This definitely adds to the wow factor from the customer point of view to see the same on 100cc bike. As seen on the Discover 125 ST, tachometer is naturally omitted here as well.

Performance and Gearbox – The Discover 100T is powered by a 102cc DTS-i, 4-valve, 4-stroke, air-cooled engine which produces a power output of 10.2 PS at 9000 RPM and torque output of 9.2 Nm at 6500 RPM. The engine is smooth, throttle response is crisp and the motor responds swiftly to the rider’s inputs. Engine revs up smoothly to the redline and NVH levels are fantastic and even better than the Discover 125 ST. This is because engineers worked on NVH levels and by using a conventional air intake system rather than a different setup which is adopted on the 125 ST.

Low end torque is sufficient but where this motor shines is mid and top-end, performance is surreal for a 100cc motorcycle, after 50 km/hr, the bike quickly reaches 80 km/hr after which progress is slow till 100km/hr. The 5-speed gear box is a welcome move, smooth positive shifts with 5-up pattern was a joy to use. Taller gear ratios help to extract the best from this powerplant. Gearbox is a bit clunky, but it is far better than the previous generation of gearbox when matching the shift quality.

Riding Dynamics – The Discover 100T has a new sub-frame, Nitrox suspension at the rear and is 4 kgs lighter. The alloy wheels, tyres and front suspension are the same. The Discover 100T stays planted in the corners and there is good grip from the tyres too. The front fork geometry is tuned for maneuverability rather than sportiness, as this is what this segment requires. Ride quality is good and the motorcycle absorbs even big bumps with utmost ease. Brakes at front and rear are drums but surprisingly they do a good job of shedding speeds well. High speed stability is good and changing directions at high speeds doesn’t upset the motorcycle’s balance.

Miscellaneous – Electric Start, Alloy wheels, drum brakes, DC ignition come as standard on this motorcycle and there is only one variant. Fitment like engine guard, RVMs and sari guard come as standard fitment too. There are vibrations in this motor but they are better controlled compared to the 125 ST. An excellent move by Bajaj Auto by introducing corrugated fins on the Discover 100T for better cooling, just like the 125 ST.

Verdict – Entry level commuter motorcycles don’t offer much different things to the buyer. However Bajaj Auto is all set to change that with the ‘Ultimate 100′. The Discover 100T promises a lot to the customer with the high value for money proposition, given the generous standard equipment it is offered with. The styling of the Discover 100T gives a feeling that it’s two segments above. The 4-valve engine produces class leading power and torque figures and returns more fuel efficiency than any other bike in its segment, making the 100T the pick of the 100cc segment.

Upside: Looks, Mileage, Technology, Value for money

Downside: In town ridability

BIOMIMICRY

Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate. Similar terms include bionics.

Over the last 3.6 billion years, nature has gone through a process of trial and error to refine the living organisms, processes, and materials on planet Earth. The emerging field of biomimetics has given rise to new technologies created from biologically inspired engineering at both the macro scale and nanoscale levels. Biomimetics is not a new idea. Humans have been looking at nature for answers to both complex and simple problems throughout our existence. Nature has solved many of today's engineering problems such as hydrophobicity, wind resistance, self-assembly, and harnessing solar energy through the evolutionary mechanics of selective advantages.

ADVANTAGES

Are sustainable: Biomimicry follows Life’s Principles. Life’s Principles instruct us to: build from the bottom up, self-assemble, optimize rather than maximize, use free energy, cross-pollinate, embrace diversity, adapt and evolve, use life-friendly materials and processes, engage in symbiotic relationships, and enhance the bio-sphere. By following the principles life uses, you can create products and processes that are well adapted to life on earth.

Perform well: In nature, if a design strategy is not effective, its carrier dies. Nature has been vetting strategies for 3.8 billion years. Biomimicry helps you study the successful strategies of the survivors, so you can thrive in your marketplace, just as these strategies have thrived in their habitat.

Save Energy: Energy in the natural world is even more expensive than in the human world. Plants have to trap and convert it from sunlight and predators have to hunt and catch it. As a result of the scarcity of energy, life tends to organize extremely energy efficient designs and systems, optimizing energy use at every turn. Emulating these efficiency strategies can dramatically reduce the energy use of your company. Greater efficiency translates to energy cost savings and greater profitability.

Cut Material Costs: Nature builds to shape, because shape is cheap and material is expensive. By studying the shapes of nature’s strategies and how they are built, biomimicry can help you minimize the amount your company spends on materials while maximizing the effectiveness of your products patterns and forms to achieve their desired functions.

Redefine and Eliminate “Waste”: By mimicking how nature transitions materials and nutrients within a habitat, your company can set up its various units and systems to optimally use resources and eliminate unnecessary redundancies. Organizing your company’s habitat flows more similarly to nature’s, will drive profitability through cost savings and/or the creation of new profit centers focused on selling your waste to companies who desire your “waste” as a feedstock.

Heighten existing product categories: Biomimicry helps you see stale product categories in a radically different light. This new sight creates an opportunity for innovation.

Define new product categories and industries: Biomimicry can help you create disruptive technologies, that transform your industry or help you build entirely new industries.

Drive Revenue: Biomimicry can help you create whole new growth areas, reignite stale product categories and attract both customers who care about innovation and sustainability.

Build Your Brand: Creating biomimetic products and processes will help your company become known as both innovative and proactive about the environment.

EXAMPLES

animal‑biomimicry‑elephant‑trunk‑robo

Bullet Train Has a Nose Like a Kingfisher Beak

Cockroach's Leg

               for more pictures please visit http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2011/01/14/brilliant-bio-design-14-animal-inspired-inventions/

                               ATOMIC CLOCK

FOCS 1, a continuous cold caesium fountain atomic clock in Switzerland, started operating in 2004 at an uncertainty of one second in 30 million years

     Since long, man has used clocks and watches to measure time. But those were crude watches and didn't measure time accurately. A few years ago, scientists were able to develop a very sophisticated clock known as ATOMIC CLOCK. With its development a new era has been ushered in the field of time measurement. It is a wonder clock, that remains accurate to one second in 1,700,000 years.

     Today we have mainly three types of clocks and watches : mechanical, electrical and electronics.
MECHANICAL CLOCKS and WATCHES are spring driven; ELECTRIC CLOCKS are battery powered and the ELECTRONIC ones are quartz based. All these clocks and watches show time quite accurately. But if they run continuously for long period, they can get slow or fast.

     Now the smallest internationally accepted unit of time is the ATOMIC SECOND. It is based on atomic clock, and defined as the time interval during which exactly 9192631770 cycles of the hyperfine resonance frequency of the ground state of the caesium atom occur. Prior to this the second was the standard of time which was measured as a portion of earth's rotation as 1/86400th of a day. An atomic clock uses the frequencies produced by atoms or molecules. The time is measured by counting the number of vibrations. Most of the atomic clock make use of frequencies in the microwave range from about 1400 to 40,000 MHz.

    In 1947, an oscillator controlled by frequencies of AMMONIA MOLECULE was constructed. An ammonia controlled clock was built in 1949 at the National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C.

     In 1955, a CAESIUM-BEAM atomic clock of high precision was first put in operation at the National Physics Laboratory, Teddington, England. After that a number of laboratories started producing commercial models of caesium-beam atomic clocks.

Caesium Beam Tube

                                         
     In the Caesium clock, the Caesium is heated in a small oven. The Caesium produces a beam which is directed through an electromagnetic field. The 5 MHz output from a quartz clock is multiplied to give 9192631770 Hz that controls the electromagnetic field. Part of the 5 MHz output is used to derive a clock display unit which indicates time.

MY HEART WILL GO ON............

Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone

Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold to
In my life we'll always go on

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WIRELESS CHARGING

Inductive charging (also known as "wireless charging") uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through inductive coupling to an electrical device, which then can use that energy to charge batteries or run the device.

Magne Charge wall, handheld, and floor mount

Induction chargers typically use an induction coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field from within a charging base station, and a second induction coil in the portable device takes power from the electromagnetic field and converts it back into electrical current to charge the battery. The two induction coils in proximity combine to form an electrical transformer.

Series resonant inductive charging circuit.

Greater distances can be achieved when the inductive charging system uses resonant inductive coupling.

Inductive Charging. The primary coil in the charger induces a current in the secondary coil in the device being charged.

Examples

• An early example of inductive power transfer is the crystal radio which used the power of the radio signal itself to power headphones. Some such radios can even use the power of a stronger station to increase the volume of a weaker station

• Transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) systems in artificial hearts and other surgically implanted devices.

• Oral-B rechargeable toothbrushes by the Braun company have used inductive charging since the early 1990s.

• Hughes Electronics developed the Magne Charge interface for General Motors. The General Motors EV1 electric car was charged by inserting an inductive charging paddle into a receptacle on the vehicle. General Motors and Toyota agreed on this interface and it was also used in the Chevrolet S-10 EV and Toyota RAV4 EV vehicles.

• In 2006, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that they had discovered an efficient way to transfer power between coils separated by a few meters. The team, led by Marin Soljačić, theorized that they could extend the distance between the coils by adding resonance to the equation. The MIT wireless power project, called WiTricity, uses a curved coil and capacitive plates.

• At CES in January 2007, Visteon unveiled their wireless charging system for in vehicle use that could charge anything from cell phones to mp3 players.

• April 28, 2009: An Energizer inductive charging station for the Wii remote is reported on IGN.

• At CES in January 2009, Palm, Inc. announced their new Pre smartphone would be available with an optional inductive charger accessory, the "Touchstone". The charger came with a required special backplate that became standard on the subsequent Pre Plus model announced at CES 2010. This was also featured on later Pixi, Pixi Plus, and Veer 4G smartphones. Upon launch in 2011, the ill-fated HP Touchpad tablet (after HP's acquisition of Palm Inc.) had a built in touchstone coil that doubled as an antenna for their NFC-like Touch to Share feature.

• In August 2009 A consortium of interested companies called the Wireless Power Consortium announced they were nearing completion for a new industry standard for low-power Inductive charging called Qi 

• Intel and Samsung plan to launch Qi wireless charging devices for phones and laptops in 2013.

• Nokia launched two smartphones (the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920) on 5 September 2012, which feature Qi wireless charging.

nokia-lumia-920-wireless-inductive-charger-charging

Advantages

• Lower risk of electrical shock or shorting out when wet because there are no exposed conductors. e.g., for toothbrushes and shavers, or outdoors.

• Consistent and secure connections - no corrosion when the electronics are all enclosed away from water or oxygen in the atmosphere.

• Safer for implants - for embedded medical devices, allows recharging/powering through the skin rather than having wires penetrate the skin, which would increase the risk of infection.

• Convenience - rather than having to connect a power cable, the device can be placed on or close to a charge plate or stand.

Disadvantages

• Lower efficiency, waste heat - The main disadvantages of inductive charging are its lower efficiency and increased resistive heating in comparison to direct contact. Implementations using lower frequencies or older drive technologies charge more slowly and generate heat within most portable electronics.

• More costly - Inductive charging also requires drive electronics and coils in both device and charger, increasing the complexity and cost of manufacturing.

• Slower charging - due to the lower efficiency, devices can take longer to charge when supplied power is equal.

• Inconvenience - When a mobile device is connected to a cable, it can be freely moved around and operated while charging. In some implementations of inductive charging (such as the Qi standard), the mobile device must be left on a pad, and thus can't be moved around or easily operated while charging.

• Standards - There are no De facto standards, potentially leaving a consumer, organisation or manufacturer with redundant equipment when a standard emerges

Newer approaches reduce transfer losses through the use of ultra thin coils, higher frequencies, and optimized drive electronics. This results in more efficient and compact chargers and receivers, facilitating their integration into mobile devices or batteries with minimal changes required. These technologies provide charging times comparable to wired approaches, and they are rapidly finding their way into mobile devices.

For example, the Magne Charge vehicle recharger system employed high-frequency induction to deliver high power at an efficiency of 86% (6.6 kW power delivery from a 7.68 kW power draw).

                                           THRUST SSC

THRUST SSC

                           

ThrustSSC, also spelt Thrust SSC (SuperSonic Car) by secondary sources, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble,Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss.

ThrustSSC holds the World Land Speed Record, set on 15 October 1997, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and became the first car to officially break the sound barrier.

ThrustSSC on display in Coventry

                                               

Rear view of ThrustSSC, with a panel removed to show one of its aluminium alloywheels, at Coventry Transport Museum.

The car was driven by Royal Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Andy Green in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, United States. It was powered by two afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, as used in the British version of the F-4 Phantom II jet fighter. The car was 16.5 m (54 ft) long, 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and weighed 10.5 tons (10.7 t), and the twin engines developed a net thrust of 223 kN (50,000 lbf), a power output of 110,000 bhp (82MW), burning around 18 litres per second (4.0 Imperial gallons/s or 4.8 US gallons/s). Transformed into the usual terms for car mileages based on its maximum speed, the fuel consumption was about 5,500 l/100 km or 0.04 mpg U.S.

One of the engines at Flixton Air museum, Norfolk.

The record run in October 1997 was preceded by extensive test runs of the vehicle in Autumn 1996 and Spring 1997 in the Al-Jafr desert (located in Ma'an Governorate) in Jordan, a location unknown before for its capabilities as a test range for high speed land vehicles, with numerous advantages compared to the salt deserts of the Western United States.

After the record was set, the World Motor Sport Council released the following message:

The World Motor Sport Council homologated the new world land speed records set by the team ThrustSSC of Richard Noble, driver Andy Green, on 15 October 1997 at Black Rock Desert, Nevada (USA). This is the first time in history that a land vehicle has exceeded the speed of sound. The new records are as follows:

• Flying mile           1227.986 km/h (763.035 mph)
• Flying kilometre   1223.657 km/h (760.343 mph)

In setting the record, the sound barrier was broken in both the north and south runs.

Paris, 11 November 1997.

In 1983 Richard Noble had broken the world land speed record with his earlier car Thrust2, which reached a speed of 1,018 km/h (633 mph). Both ThrustSSC and Thrust2 are displayed at the Coventry Transport Museum in Coventry, England.

The date of Andy Green's record came exactly a half century and one day after Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in Earth's atmosphere, with theBell X-1 research rocket plane on 14 October 1947.

Several teams are competing to break the record, including Richard Noble's Bloodhound SSC project and the North American Eagle project.

The team with ThrustSSC.

                                                   

Top 5 Fastest Bikes in the World

1.    Honda CBR 1100XX Super Blackbird

                                                           178mph (286 km/h)

                                       

Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird is a sport-touring motorcycle built by Honda. It combines big engine power, Easy operational error-tolerance with touring comfort. The Blackbird production started in 1997 and the last year of production was 2006. The Blackbird was the result of Honda's attempt to build the world's fastest production motorcycle, stealing the crown from Kawasaki.

2.    Yamaha YZF R1

                                                           176mph (283 km/h)

 

The Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle, introduced in 1998, was the first significant motorcycle in the true litre class (1,000 cc) "handling arms race" between the Japanese Big Four motorcycle manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha). When introduced, it took the class closer to a true racing motorcycle, and increased the handling capabilities.

3.    Aprilia RSV 1000R Mille

                                                          175mph (281 km/h)

 

The RSV Mille and limited-edition RSV Mille Factory are high performance V-twin powered motorcycles made by Aprilia with a 143 HP 998 cc engine built by the Austrian company Rotax. For 2006. the RSV Mille Factory won the Maxisport category for Masterbike 2006 and overall Masterbike of the year.

4.    Ducati 1098s

                                                          169 mph (271 km/h)

 

The Ducati 1098 is a 1099 cc L-twin sport bike manufactured by Ducati. It was announced on November 8, 2006 for the 2007 model year and replaces the 999. The 1098 makes a manufacturer claimed 160 horsepower, 90.4 ft-lb torque, and weighs 173kg. These figures gives the 1098 the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made. 

5.    BMW K1200S

                                                          167 mhh (268 km/h)

With enough raw power to shock even the most seasoned adrenaline junky, the K 1200 S hurls you from a dead stop to sixty mph in just 2.8 seconds. Once you're over the whiplash, you'll keep climbing, topping out at speeds that run neck-and-neck with the fastest production motorcycles in the world.