Latest news with #Arulampalam
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
India, Australia launch research project to bolster undersea surveillance
NEW DELHI: In a landmark agreement in defence cooperation, India and Australia have initiated a research project to enhance undersea surveillance capabilities, focusing on early detection and tracking of submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles. As per Australia's Department of Defence, the agreement outlines a three-year joint project between Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG's) Information Sciences Division and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO's) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory. The DSTG is a leading Australian govt agency, employing one of the largest number of scientists and engineers, who deliver advice and innovative solutions on matters of defence science and technology. The Department of Defence said the research project would explore the use of towed array target motion analysis technology to improve the reliability, efficiency and interoperability of current surveillance capabilities. DSTG senior researcher Sanjeev Arulampalam explained that a towed array consists of a long linear array of hydrophones, towed behind a submarine or surface ship on a flexible cable. 'We need to harness the best minds in innovation, science and technology to build new capabilities, to innovate at greater pace, and to strengthen our strategic partnerships. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why seniors are rushing to get this Internet box – here's why! Techno Mag Learn More Undo The hydrophones work together to listen to the undersea environment from various directions,' the Department of Defence cited Dr Arulampalam as saying. The project is the latest milestone in increasing maritime domain awareness cooperation between Australia and India. It is significant within the Quad framework— consisting of India, Australia, US and Japan — which seeks to counter China's growing maritime belligerence in the Indo-Pacific. The combination of target motion analysis with the towed array system is intended to manage noise corruption and explore performance improvements. The project would see novel algorithms being put to test, using the strengths and shared knowledge of the two countries. 'It will involve the sharing of ideas, investigation trials, algorithm demonstrations and performance analysis,' Arulampalam said. The Department of Defence announcement comes after external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, on the sidelines of the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in the US earlier this week.
United News of India
03-07-2025
- Science
- United News of India
India-Australia join hands to enhance undersea surveillance
New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) In a significant step towards bolstering defence capabilities, India and Australia have joined hands on a pioneering science and technology project to enhance undersea surveillance technologies. The joint research initiative, led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory and Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), aims to improve the early detection and tracking of submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles, Australian Defence Ministry said in a statement. This project is the latest milestone in increasing maritime domain awareness cooperation between Australia and India. In a statement issued by the Australian government Department of Defence said, "The agreement outlines a three-year joint research project between the Defence Science and Technology Group's (DSTG) Information Sciences Division, and its Indian counterpart agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory". "The leading-edge research will explore using Towed Array Target Motion Analysis to improve the reliability, efficiency and interoperability of current surveillance capabilities," it said. Discipline Leader in DSTG's Information Sciences Division, Amanda Bessell, said Target Motion Analysis was a collective term for target tracking algorithms, developed to estimate the state of a moving target. 'Target Motion Analysis is the crucial element in maintaining platform situational awareness, when a passive mode of operation is required,' Bessell said. This research project is unique in the way it utilises a towed array-based signal processing system. DSTG Senior Researcher, Sanjeev Arulampalam, explained a towed array consisted of a long linear array of hydrophones, towed behind a submarine or surface ship on a flexible cable. "We need to harness the best minds in innovation, science and technology to build new capabilities, to innovate at greater pace, and to strengthen our strategic partnerships," the statement added. 'The hydrophones work together to listen to the undersea environment from various directions,' Dr Arulampalam said. 'The sound signal is passed through a signal processor, which analyses, filters and detects underwater acoustic signals emitted from maritime targets.' The joint project will put novel algorithms to the test, using the strengths and shared knowledge of the two countries. 'The project arrangement will involve the sharing of ideas, investigation trials, algorithm demonstrations and performance analysis,' Dr Arulampalam said. With the scope of the underwater battlespace changing, including the increased use of autonomous vehicles, improving surveillance capabilities is a priority. 'The output of this research program has the potential to guide the development of future algorithmic directions for our undersea combat system surveillance technologies,' Chief Information Sciences Division, Suneel Randhawa, said. UNI AAB PRS
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Can AI help solve Hartford's pothole problem?
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Hartford city leaders are looking to a cutting-edge artificial intelligence tool to help tackle the challenge of potholes and other road defects. 'Since I've been mayor, I have, almost from the get-go, gotten complaints from residents about conditions of roads,' Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said at a press conference on Thursday. GUIDE: Low-cost or free summer activities for New Haven youth, families Arulampalam was joined by representatives of Vialytics, a German firm that developed the technology that Hartford will deploy on municipal vehicles to detect roadway hazards. The technology utilizes an iPhone camera mounted on the inside of a vehicle's front windshield. Using Vialytics' app, the vehicle's driver must first complete a short calibration before heading out on the streets. Once the vehicle is on the road, the app automatically captures images of the road every 10 to 15 feet, Vialytics's staff said. Then, the images are fed into a proprietary A.I. model, which has been trained to recognize more than a dozen roadway defects, including potholes and cracks. 'At first, humans were training that algorithm and actually clicking where see a crack, where we see a pothole,' Tom Cummins, a member of Vialytics's U.S. team, said. 'Over time, the AI, the model itself, is actually learning what a crack looks like, what a pothole looks like.' Law enforcement agencies in Connecitcut preparing for 'No Kings' protests Saturday For the capital city, Arulampalam said the deployment of A.I. to assist their two human road inspectors will help fill in cracks — literally and figuratively. Currently, the city relies on its inspectors and public complaints to identify roads in need of repair. That system can often miss hazards and inadvertently skew repair orders toward neighborhoods that are more likely to have residents who are familiar with filing complaints, city officials said. Vialytics' software is designed to provide more comprehensive coverage while ensuring that each of Hartford's neighborhoods receives the attention they need. Having a constant technological eye keeping tabs on the conditions of the capital city's roadways can raise privacy concerns. Still, Vialytics' top American executive stated that the German company operates under the European Union's data privacy regime, as outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR is generally considered to be stricter than any of the applicable data privacy laws in the United States. Vialytics's systems do not collect license plates and faces, the company executive said. Arulampalam said the new technology is going to be impactful for residents not only because it will help address existing potholes but also because it will enable city public works officials to more easily identify smaller defects before they turn into bigger hazards — all at a cost of less than $40,000 to the city in the upcoming fiscal year. 'This innovation is going to lead the way for quality of life in the city and make a huge difference for our residents,' Arulampalam said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New wheels for CT city mobile library has focus on reaching underserved communities
When The Hartford Public Library launched its new Library on Wheels, it made clear the goal was reaching Hartford residents in their communities. But Bridget E. Quinn, the president and CEO of the Hartford Public Library said The Library on Wheels is much more too. It's a rolling hub of learning and community engagement and it's a learning vehicle that is expected to make weekly trips across the city with a special focus on underserved communities. 'We have had mobile service at Hartford library for a number of years, but we are so excited that today we get to show you (this),' Quinn said at the launch at Bushnell Park. 'It's the state-of-the-art mobile library that brings books, technology and services and our fabulous outreach staff to our Hartford community.' Quinn said the van is more than a mobile library but 'a symbol of accessibility, inclusivity and opportunity.' 'Mobile and outreach services allow us to reach people where they are, creating stronger connections and more opportunities for learning,' Quinn said. The Library on Wheels will visit local schools, community centers and public events and the Library on Wheels will be full of books and materials. The Library on Wheels offers library card registration, programming (in collaboration with hosts), library books (English and Spanish), free books, DVDs, CDs (no card required), information on library events and services and other library materials. 'We believe that access to knowledge and opportunity should never be limited by geography,' Quinn said. 'We are building a library system that is as mobile, flexible and inclusive as the community we serve.' Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said The Hartford Public Library is among the best in the country. 'The Hartford Public Library calls itself a place like no other and it's true,' Arulampalam said. 'It's been for over 250 years, and it continues to innovate. Libraries are no longer repositories for books; they are social hubs for our community. People come here for all sorts of needs in their life,' Arulampalam said. 'But in addition to our library being a community living room, the library has taken their books out of the four walls of the library and into the community…We are so excited to have this Library on Wheels.' Quinn thanked the support of the city of Hartford, Hartford Public Works, the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund, Action Glass (East Hartford) and Gengras Motor Cars. The Hartford Public Library was founded as the Library Company in 1774. The library has seven full-service locations, two Boundless Library locations, and multiple outreach services, including the Library on Wheels and Story Stash and a 24-7 pickup locker.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 CT office-to-apartment conversions that made a difference. A big challenge looms on the horizon.
The recent launch of the conversion of two historic — but difficult to redevelop — office buildings in downtown was hailed by city and state leaders as making way for apartments that are very much in demand in a city where there is a glut of office space. In marking the $52 million conversion of former state office buildings on Hartford's Trinity Street into more than 100 residential rentals, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam struck an upbeat vision for the city in the coming years. 'Brick by brick, development by development, this city is becoming one larger city in which every neighborhood feels a part of where we are going and this is an incredible centerpiece for that,' Arulampalam said, at last week's event. 'We are so proud of where the city is going. I hope you are so proud of what you see today and what the future looks like.' Indeed, the conversion of older office buildings in and around downtown in the last decade have helped absorb obsolete office space. The projects, many of them supported with public financing, have added thousands of rentals to strike a better — but still emerging — balance with the historical dominance of the office towers. But a big worry looms on the horizon: what to do with space in modern office towers downtown that were battered by corporate downsizings in the aftermath of the pandemic? 'The challenge now is do we take on the 'A' buildings and/or some of the corporate campuses (Aetna)?' Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority, said in an email. How the low occupancies in some of the city's most recognizable office towers are dealt with will have far-reaching consequences. For the downtown economic ecosystem, there are far fewer office workers to regularly help support shops, restaurants and bars. And declining office building values will mean a hit to property taxes collected by the city that pay for municipal services and running its school system. Class A space is considered the most prime, marquee space. In downtown Hartford, there are five major office towers — two on Constitution Plaza — either in foreclosure or receivership, some the casualty of lenders unwilling to refinance mortgages in a shaky office leasing market both in Hartford and nationally. Receivership means building owners have lost day-to-day control of their buildings because they haven't been able to make loan payments or refinance. CityPlace I — the tallest office building in Hartford — fell into receivership after its main tenant, UnitedHealthcare, slashed its leased space as more of its employees in the city worked from home after COVID-19. Of the roughly 885,000 square feet in the 38-story tower, just 45%, or about 400,000 square feet is occupied, according to CoStar, the commercial real estate analytics firm. A new analysis by Cushman & Wakefield of the 14 Class A, or prime, office buildings in Hartford's business district showed that overall availabilities were 35.5% as of Mar. 31. That up a full percentage point from 34.5% compared to a year earlier, the analysis by the commercial real estate services firm found. By the numbers, that's 2 million square feet available out of about 5.7 million. Nationally, the move to convert idle office space into residential rentals has gained considerable momentum in the past several years, according to a recent report from which tracks trends involving apartments. The report found that the number of apartments set to be converted from office space has skyrocketed from 23,100 in 2022 to a record-breaking 70,700 expected in 2025. CityPlace and other office towers in the downtown Hartford area may not be necessarily be suitable for apartment conversions. But older, smaller buildings may well be, with their tenants potentially moving into Class A space where lower, attractive rents could be negotiated and owners are hungry for tenants. For developers, rising construction costs — potentially affected by new tariffs — remain a concern when assessing the viability of projects and whether public funding needs to be increased. In the legislature, a half-dozen bills — some proposing tax credits — sought at the beginning of the session to encourage office-to-residential conversions. And Gov. Ned Lamont proposed $50 million in his capital budget to support such projects. In the last decade, Hartford got a jump on converting office space, well before anyone had heard of COVID-19. But the stakes still remain high because the city has more office space than New Haven, Waterbury and Bridgeport combined. Original use: Office tower Built: 1967 Conversion cost: $84.5 million, with public funding # of apartments: 285 Market-rate/Affordable: 80%/20% Developer: Bruce Becker, Westport Conversion completed: 2015 Current Occupancy: 98% Why it Matters: The 26-story office tower once stood out in the city's nighttime skyline, dark and empty — a highly visible reminder of the city's struggle with revitalization. The project was one of the earliest and largest office-to-apartment conversions in the last decade, and provided a crucial test for housing demand in downtown Hartford. Original use: Masonic Hall Built: 1894 Conversion cost: $4.5 million, with public funding # of apartments: 26 Market-rate/Affordable: 100% Market-rate Developer: Yisroel Rabinowitz, Brooklyn, NY Conversion completed: 2014 Current Occupancy: 86% Why it Matters: The former Masonic Hall had struggled to accommodate offices, but was successfully converted into The Grand on Ann apartments. The project, the first to be completed using low-cost financing through the Capital Region Development Authority, established housing on the eastern end of downtown's Allyn Street corridor. CRDA sought to strengthen the residential presence between the XL Center and Union Station. It is uncertain how that vision will unfold now that the federal government has all but chosen an Allyn Street parking lot for a new federal courthouse. Original use: Offices for wool merchants Built: 1883 Conversion cost: $14.9 million, with public financing # of apartments: 63 Market-rate/Affordable: 80%/20% Developer: Dakota Partners, Waltham, MA Conversion completed: 2015 Current Occupancy: 84% Why it Matters: The renovation revived the use of an office building considered an architectural gem, but was in decline with few tenants. The conversion to rental housing added more apartments around Union Station on the west end of Allyn Street. Leasing helped build a track record for downtown rental demand. Original use: office tower Built: 1965 Conversion cost: $28.4 million, with public funding # of apartments: 157 Market-rate/Affordable: 100% Market-rate Developers: Wonder Works Construction Corp. and Girona Ventures, both of New York Conversion completed: 2020 Current Occupancy: 97% Why it Matters: The 12-story office tower at the corner of Pearl and Lewis streets was once a bank headquarters and later, a police substation. Until converted to apartments in 2020, a string of attempts to redevelop the structure into office space, apartments and condominiums failed, leaving the building largely vacant and decaying for years. Original use: office building Built: 1950 Conversion cost: $21.5 million, with public funding # of apartments: 101 Market-rate/Affordable: 100% Market-rate Developers: Wonder Works Construction Corp. and Girona Ventures, both of New York Conversion completed: 2019 Current Occupancy: 96% Why it Matters: The 7-story building was vacant for more than a decade and like the neighboring 101 Pearl occupied a prominent corner in downtown, diagonally across from the XL Center arena, The two structures are now joined internally to create one apartment building. Original use: department store Built: 1928 Conversion cost: $30 million, with public funding # of apartments: 97 Market-rate/Affordable: 100% Market-rate Developer: Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Shelbourne Global Solutions LLC, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Lexington Partners and LAZ Investments, both of Hartford. Conversion completed: 2023 Current Occupancy: 100% Why it Matters: The L-shaped building that anchors the southern side of the corner of Pratt and Trumbull streets was long past its heyday. After the Steiger's Department Store closed in 1962, the upper floors became office space. The new apartments formed a cornerstone for the Pratt Street corridor which aspires to be both a place to live and a visitor destination. Original use: office building Built: 1981 Conversion cost: $20 million, with public funding Apartments: 60 Market-rate/Affordable: 70%/30% Developer: RBH Group, Newark, N.J Conversion completed: 2019 Current Occupancy: 98% Why it Matters: Teacher's Village Hartford converted office space facing Bushnell Park that had been vacant for two decades. The vision was to create a residential community for teachers and other educators who can collaborate and support each other in their professional endeavors. While an estimated 40% of the units are occupied by educators, below the initial leasing of 60-70%, the apartments remain nearly fully leased. SOURCES: Capital Region Development Authority; Courant reporting
