Category Archives: Robotics

Robotics

Robots: America’s Answer to Dwindling Math Scores

Posted on by
Reply


I. Introduction

“You can’t achieve what you can’t conceive.”

-Author unknown

The United States of America may lose its supremacy as a superpower if our children of today can’t grasp the technologies of tomorrow. The trend has already been set. High-level engineering jobs are currently being outsourced to other nations, not only because of cheaper costs, but inadequacies of filling them in the states. Let’s face it; there are not too many Americans who strive to have a doctrine in Electrical Engineering to do research and development. To other countries like Korea, many students see Math as the “universal language” and foresee a technically based doctorate level diploma as a necessity for excelling in their country. To many, this is the only road out of poverty. American children, stereotypically, do not have this fear to motivate them. Many children in this “superior” country just view mathematics as something needed to pass a proficiency test. Its value is discarded. The implementations are unseen. The desire of children to follow this type of career path is decreasing. Obviously, these future implications are disturbing and may some day be detrimental to the foundation of our country. However, I believe nurturing children’s enthusiasm in needing to use math may be the answer. Not surprisingly as stated in Robots for Kids, “Robots rank right up there with dinosaurs when it comes to grabbing the attention of elementary school students…” [1 p. 232]. Hence, I predict an interest, active participation, and proper guidance in robotics will increase nationally recorded math scores.

II. Staggering Math Scores

The facts don’t lie. According to the US Department of Education in 1999 [2], the United States ranked 12th among 4th graders, a staggering 28th among 8th graders, and just 19th among seniors in nationally recorded math scores. How can poverty stricken and problematic country like Israel be three rankings ahead of us with 8th graders? Clearly, money isn’t the answer. Nor do I believe Israelis have fewer fears about violence than our inner city children do to distract them. Although I’m a bit perplexed by the answer, I believe solution lies in a child’s own aspirations and inner desires. Many of our youth dream to be professional athletes or pop singers. That’s what they see. That’s what they know. That’s what they love. These young easily influenced children view these avenues not only as fun, but also as a means for financial freedom. With mathematics being the “universal language,” children in other countries may see this as the only way to break through levels of poverty and thrive in life. Let’s face it; math can be a difficult subject to grasp. Unless one either has the first name ‘Albert’ or discovers motivational reasons to put forth extra effort, the scores will suffer. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has found that “students who agreed that they like math and that math was useful for solving problems, scored higher than students who disagreed” [3]. To no surprise, many educators have already taken this as a given. The question that now arises is how to motivate the children? Or better yet, how does one follow a handed-down curriculum while taking advantage of today’s enticing technologies? As stated by Druin and Hendler, “I believe the desire for learning has to do with an animating idea or an engaging project. New technologies enable students of all ages to pursue richer, far more complex learning experiences. With robots, students can truly be scientists, engineers, designers, and builders” [1 pp. 161-62].

  Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12

Rank Nation Score Nation Score Nation Score

1 Singapore 625 Singapore 643 Netherlands 560

2 Korea 611 Korea 607 Sweden 552

3 Japan 597 Japan 605 Denmark 547

4 Hong Kong 587 Hong Kong 588 Switzerland 540

5 Netherlands 577 Belgium 565 Iceland 534

6 Czech Republic 567 Czech Republic 564 Norway 528

7 Austria 559 Slovak Republic 547 France 523

8 Slovenia 552 Switzerland 545 New Zealand 522

9 Ireland 550 Netherlands 541 Australia 522

10 Hungary 548 Slovenia 541 Canada 519

11 Australia 546 Bulgaria 540 Slovenia 518

12 United States 545 Austria 539 Germany 495

13 Canada 532 France 538 Hungary 483

14 Israel 531 Hungary 537 Italy 476

15 Latvia 525 Russian Fed. 535 Russian Fed. 471

16 Scotland 520 Australia 530 Lithuania 469

17 England 513 Ireland 527 Czech Republic 466

18 Cyprus 502 Canada 527 United States 461

19 Norway 502 Belgium 526 Cyprus 446

20 New Zealand 499 Sweden 519 South Africa 356

21 Greece 492 Thailand 522    

22 Thailand 490 Israel 522    

23 Portugal 475 Germany 509    

24 Iceland 474 New Zealand 508    

25 Iran 429 …(28th)United States 500

   

Figure 1: Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) of 1999 Math scores [2].

Figure 2: Average mathematics scores by students that state “I like math” [3].

Figure 3: Average mathematics scores by students that state “Mathematics is useful for solving everyday problems” [3].

III. Robots in the Media

Television may be lending a helping hand in the educational pursuit of sparking kid’s interest in robots. Maybe the eyes have been blessed to see Honda’s commercial of a 4 foot robot walking down the driveway to pickup a Sunday paper. This completely autonomous robot, which appears to be wearing a space suit, is currently on tour around the world. This “Advanced Step in Innovative MObility,” or better known as ASIMO, is the result of a robotics program that began in 1986. Being the most advanced humanoid robot in existence, this intriguing creation walks on two legs, has 26 degrees of freedom, can walk up steps, and is currently on a North American Educational Tour. Recently, this technological marvel visited the Bronx schools in an attempt to “encourage the interest in the study of robotics and science” [4]. Even a section on the website is dedicated to teacher’s resources for children. With ASIMO, Honda is truly giving our youth “The power of dreams” [4].

Sony is also doing its part to “Change the way you see world.” AIBO has become a pet of the future for many while the SDR-4X II is all the rave. AIBO is an autonomous dog that can learn, do tricks, and express feelings. This approximately $2000 piece of entertainment is completely programmable for upgrading and educational purposes. Be prepared for the pet to express 6 different types of feelings, act according to its environment and attention it’s receiving, seek out its toys, and without human help it will wake up and fall asleep on a charging station. Not only does the dog mature overtime, but also it won’t dirty the carpets as a puppy! The SDR-4X II, on the other hand, literally has become the rave among youngsters. This humanoid can be caught “raving” (a techno dance technique), throwing balls, doing tai chi, and even jogging. Even better, the video clips available on the Internet and television demonstrate five of them doing it in unison. And it gets better! This robot also has face recognition, a 20,000-word vocabulary for speech recognition and synthesis, color recognition, and still finds time to map out a room for optimum placement to show off. Now only if this thing didn’t need to be charged. Oh, did I mention work is already being done on that [4, 5]?

The stated robots do a wonderful job of creating attention for themselves and portraying to youngsters “cool” jobs to have when they grown up. However, I believe the television show Robot Wars is a driving force for inspiring them to begin building. I can vouch as living proof of that statement. Turn on TechTV and you will have the pleasure of watching
robots battle to the death in an arena that has gusts of fire, pits to oblivion, and flippers that launch unfortunate robots through the air to their doom. Combine this with hundreds if not over a thousand screaming children in the stands and this show becomes a quick favorite. The program’s website even provides a daily quench for the thirst of building. Direct links are provided on how to start creating robots from home. GI Joes begin to look like baby toys in comparison to a 500 pound robot that shoots fire, spins blades, has crushing pinchers, and is moving strictly to survive and destroy someone else’s creation. Inside this 20- by 54-foot arena is the ultimate in robot combat and competition. Children love it [7, 8]!

IV. Creative Avenues

A common place many turn to when compelled to build a bot is David Cook’s book, Robot Building for Beginners. Following these instructions, not only will a line following robot be built, but math is unavoidably used and pursued. In order to understand speed, one must first understand Revolutions Per Minute, trade offs between speed and torque, battery levels, friction, robot mass and ways to manipulate these values with different voltages, gear ratios, and tire sizes. Trial and error is always an option and, might I add, a popular one amongst beginners. Remember, robotics is something that making a mistake is ‘OK’ and a tremendous amount of the learning results from these mistakes. However, this is where a teacher steps in and provides a ‘bag of tricks’ to the knowledge hungry children. I believe Miller and Stein say it best when they detail reactions from a second grade class:

“…several students will stare with awe and admiration at the one or two students who know their multiplication tables and can predict how many times a motor needs to turn to make the wheel on their robot turn once… All of a sudden radii, circles, circumferences, and so on have utility—as one of our students suddenly loudly exclaimed, “So that’s what pi is for!”” [1 pp. 231-32].

Wow, all that to just determine speed. Lets not forget that the person reading the book is going to learn about materials science (i.e. textile strength), basic electronics (voltage = current * resistance), mechanics (loads and stress), diodes, resisters, capacitors, LEDs, and all the tools and procedures to use them effectively. At first glance, this may seem like a lot to learn for a child. Remember this: it’s not the teacher’s lessons being forced on the kids, it’s their own! What child becomes enthused with a question stating, “If Jack is half as old as Jill, and Jill is one third as old as Jan? Then how old is Jack on Jan’s 60 birthday?” Building robots is a teacher’s dream–true problem solving with the added benefit of enthusiasm [9].

With DC robots, the sky is the limit on how technical the project will become. However, sometimes quicker and less complex solutions may be more appropriate. BEAM technology uses solar energy to power very simplistic, yet captivating, robots. This acronym for Biology Electronics Aesthetics Mechanics represents an area of robotics using no computational power, inspirations from Mother Nature, a focus on designs that appeal to the eye, while making it all work with the small amount of power given from a solar panel. There are rarely circuit boards used, no programming is involved, and just a few inexpensive are parts needed. My first BEAM robot involved a paper clip, a pager motor, a solar panel, a capacitor, and a little solder. In about 20 minutes, the 5 parts came to life! The beauty of these robots is the simplicity to build, the parts are cheap to buy or easily found in techno junk around the house, and only a soldering iron is necessary to build them. While these robots generally take the form of a bug or some other small creature, they have a large appeal to children. Projects are very quick. This fact alone adheres to those with a short attention span who want immediate feedback on their progresses. In addition, many of the basic principals of science and biology are incorporated in the design and can be discussed with respect to solar energy. Visits to the zoo will become more educational as children will seek out animals to mimic their moments and appearance. “Construction material and project ideas that appeal to a broad range of interests allow multiple entry points into science, mathematics, engineering, design, art and music for all types of learners. These materials not only make new knowledge domains accessible, but also provide new ways for children to relate to domains of knowledge to which they have already been exposed” [1 p. 22]. In addition, an obvious challenge of this solar technology is to minimize the current used and find ways of storing (capacitors) what little energy that is available. Hence, young robotists will learn the importance of reading and comprehending part data sheets in order to choose the appropriate parts wisely. Naturally, some of the most basic problem solving techniques are utilized at its finest [10].

When the pupil is young or the soldering skills have not quite matured, Lego Mindstorms is always an exceptional choice. Actually, anyone of any age will find this technical and robotic line of Legos a wise investment. Not only are the parts reusable and nonexclusive to a particular project, but also they can be programmed in various languages on a computer from Visual Basic to Lego’s own object oriented programming language. No cables are needed either. All of this can be done via an infrared transmitter! It’s difficult to fathom how Legos have walked hand-in-hand with technology. For example, let’s take a closer look at the kit “Robotics Invention System 2.0.” This set includes a battery operated RCX Microcomputer used to store programs and connect all the peripherals, 718 pieces which include 2 motors, 2 touch sensors, and 1 light sensor, a USB infrared tower, and a simple yet powerful picture based programming language on CD. Of course, all the Legos from any of the prior kits can be used in conjunction with this educational tool. In addition, at the Mindstorms website, there is a free online program in which to create projects choosing any Lego in existence. This 3D virtual environment is ideal for posting creations on the web or experimenting with Legos that have yet to be purchased [11, 12, 13].

As a result of the software included, children can have their first robot built in less than an hour after purchase. There are a slew of practice lessons, training sessions, and missions included on the CD. Each of these training sessions teaches a specific capability of the Robotics System while describing various ways to test, troubleshoot, and tweak the constructions. Eventually, the lessons will escalate into such capabilities as: using sensors to interact with the environment, programming with icons that represent blocks of code, and create environmental responses for the robot to do anything its creator desires. By the time the CD is completed, nearly all the fundamental techniques necessary to complete projects will have been covered [11, 14].

Already, there are over a dozen books written about Lego Mindstorms with detailed how-to’s of creating everything from a scanner, musical instrument, and a picture creator, to a spy bot, fingernail polisher, and M&M color sorter. I even own books that describe the creations of an ATM machine, card dealer, elephants that squirt water, and even a robot that does the work of cleaning the Lego’s from the floor [15]. By completing these projects, according to Cole and O’Conner, “(Educational) benefits include helping children to improve their concentration skills, work with instructions, problem solve, and develop patience” [16]. This line of Legos created by MIT professors is currently being used with thousands of educators across the world. Since most children only view the robot as a “toy”, they tend to stay highly focused and engaged throughout the lessons. Thus allowing more produc
tive group settings, more creative and in depth solutions to given scenarios, and development of interpersonal skills and team-building skills. All of this is accomplished without the use of a pencil [17, 18]!

V. Case Study

If something can’t be measured, then I believe it cannot be proven or improved. My hypothesis is that with an interest, active participation, and proper guidance in robotics, the TIMMS scores on average will increase at least 10 points over a year’s time. Since the tests are taken at 4th, 8th, and 12th grade years respectively, this undertaking would need to involve an entire school system and then relate the scores to the year’s prior. Remember, the content of an experience, and not so much the tools, are what is vital to learning. Hence, the roles, guidance, and trainings of the teachers and designated robot/BEAM/Lego Mindstorms “experts” cannot be stressed enough. It is naive to consider placing a computer in front of a person and expecting one to be capable of building a network, creating a webpage, or becoming fluent in a programming language. The same goes for robotics. When launching this curriculum upgrade in the beginning of a fall school year, it is essential to educate the teachers during the prior summer. Obviously, this time will be spent to understand the equipment, discuss and personalize previously created and borrowed lesson plans, and provide an entire summer of uninhibited experimentation. However, this is also a period to overcome any fears or dislikes of technology and change. “For example, some people uncomfortable with new ways can replicate the old ways by using technology. It is a safe way to sneak up on change… Some teachers, who have little experience with new technologies in their classroom, have been known to force-fit new technologies to well-worn curricula” [1 p. 159]. For this case study to be effective, educators must embrace breaking through the mold of “old school” comfortable habits and adhere to the potentials of what technology can foster. This is, of course, the pursuit of “richer, far more complex learning experiences [1 p. 161].

The procedure itself is laid out in a similar pattern amongst the different grade zones. Months prior to the start of the school year, a letter detailing the curriculum changes should be sent out to all the parents. This letter should brief the intentions and communicate resources that a parent could turn to for pre-exposure to themselves and their children with the upcoming technologies. Parental support and involvement are essential to exceeding expectations in this new process.

A. Elementary School

Beginning with the elementary level, grades 1-5, the year should begin with a speaker. Here, Lego Mindstorms will be introduced and accompanied with a display case full of inventions. Demonstrations will be shown to all. This will incite interest and curiosity amongst the listeners. Also, leaving these creations in a strategic trophy-case-like display will perpetuate the excitement and foster a desire for involvement. Lego Mindstorms will be added to the curriculum. This time invested can be substituted for some of the weekly sciences and designated math time slots. When executed properly, the lesson plans of different mathematical principals can be shared as helpful hints to the students. Also, in replacement of the annual science fair, a “Lego Fair” could be established. This will provide for more parental involvement regarding the Mindstorms. How many projects are really done 100% by the student anyway? Also, a sense of pride and achievement will be attained in the ownership of a creation on display for everyone to see. In addition, having the student stand by the project during showing to answer questions and provide detailed descriptions and demonstrations will solidify the understanding, theories, and principles used in the creation process.

Just as in high school, I believe tenure and seniority should have its perks. Assuming the continuation of this curriculum advancement, 4th and 5th graders would eventually have 3 and 4 years of Mindstorms experience under their belts. Thus, allowing for more advanced projects and deeper problem solving capabilities. To add fuel to this fire, a monthly competition could be established solely for the “upper class people.” This could involve creating a solution to build a robot that follows a line and picks up Legos, a race around a track following a line, or even a robot that can navigate through a simple maze. Whatever the challenge; a secret agenda should be accomplished. Carefully choose a project that is best solved using principles that coincide with the forecasted science or mathematical lesson plans that month. I believe this would serve as an honor to be old enough to participate in these activities. Student involvement would inevitably increase as a result. Also, what’s better than having a child seeking out mathematical tricks from the teacher, i.e. how to use fractions for simplification of programming timings, in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage over a fellow classmate? Stated in business terms, competition fosters innovation. Then last of all, administer the TIMMS tests and compare the scores to a prior non-Lego integrated year.

B. Middle and Junior High School

In a similar fashion, grades 6th through 8th will experience robotics with a heightened level of technical skills necessary to complete the projects. The main differences are the integration of electrical components, basic electrical principles, soldering techniques, and solar technology used in the foundation of BEAM technology. A guest will also be brought in at the start of the school year for the technical overview and exhibitions of a display-case amount of BEAM robots. However, this speaker will also be an electrical engineer. This expert will relay the pertinence of the BEAM skills to be learned as they are utilized in the real world. Also, the professional should state the educational path best taken in math and science to prepare for a college major in this field. As with the elementary children, the creations will be left on display and questions will be welcomed both during the presentation and on a one-on-one basis.

Since students will more than likely be changing classes for the different subjects, the science labs should be equipped with the necessary tools for the solar robots. This robotics class will need to be slotted in a certain portion of the week in replacement of the sciences. In addition, a yearly BEAM robot fair should also be created. Robots that interact, seek out light, and intertwine independent ideas (as apposed to just following directions out of a book) should be suggested. A new twist will be added to this fair though. Students will be required to provide a write-up that details schematics, electrical calculations, and descriptions of the robot. This should even include how light transforms to energy for the motor. This insures that the student is actually understanding the creation and learning the principles—not just excelling in the field of directions following. If the Beam Robot Fair is the yearly event for all grades, the monthly projects for the privileged 8th graders could be a robot race. I would like to better name these functions “The Solar Roller Races.” Here, students will create solar powered drag cars to race their fellow classmates. These simple creations will be entered into a bracketing system in which the monthly winners will have their names engraved on an annual plaque. Winners could be encouraged to retire that car and work on a new one for the next month. This will encourage continued devotion to these races from everyone. And as the last step in this process would be, TIMMS test should be administered to the students and compared to prior non-robot years.

C. High School

With no surprise, the most involved, demanding, and in depth robotic projects will be asked of those in high school. The sky is the limit on the complexity of any project
here. Also, in hopes of keeping the robotics program alive for many years, those who began with the Lego Mindstorms will be able to utilize their skills since first grade on the projects. Robot bases can easily be made of Legos and light can also be used as a power source. Students will eventually learn there are advantages and disadvantages to every decision they make.

The school year for grades 9-12 will follow in line with K-8 and begin with a visit from a speaker. This speaker will be an Electrical Engineer fluent in the field of robotics. Again an overview will be given, creations will be demonstrated, a Q/A session will take place, career paths will be detailed, and specific class routes will be suggested. Although the speaker descriptions appear to just be reiterations of other grade levels, the importance cannot be stressed enough. Many teenagers begin career paths based upon what they enjoy. Hopefully, those who become passionate about robotics understand the importance of accelerated classes for technical majors in college. This fact cannot be forgotten. The classes specific to robotics will be offered to each grade level with increasingly more in depth coverage for the higher grades.

Also, instead of a yearly robot fair, I desire the yearly event to be participation in FIRST. “For Inspiration in Science and Technology” is a 6 weeklong competition modeled after an MIT 2.70 mechanical engineering class [1 p. 248-49]. As described on the FIRST website:

“The FIRST Robotics Competition is a national engineering contest which immerses high school students in the exciting world of engineering. Teaming up with engineers from businesses and universities, students get a hands-on inside look at the engineering profession. In six intense weeks, students and engineers work together to brainstorm, design, construct and test their “champion robot.” With only six weeks, all jobs are critical path. The teams then compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament complete with referees, cheerleaders and time clocks.

The partnerships developed between schools, businesses, and universities provide an exchange of resources and talent, highlighting mutual needs, building cooperation, and exposing students to new career choices. The result is a fun, exciting and stimulating environment in which all participants discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real world applications.

Each year, the competition is different, so returning teams always have a new challenge to look forward to. However, the details are kept secret until the unveiling at the Kick-Off workshop. This provides a high level of excitement as everyone sees the new challenge for the first time and ideas immediately being forming in people’s minds” [19, 1 pp. 248-49].



Upper class people will also have their privileges in high school. The monthly event open to 10th and 11th graders could be robot sumo. Here, students will create completely autonomous robots and mimic the rules of one of Japan’s most popular sports—sumo. Instead, the idea is for the size and weight class restricted robots to push each other out of a circular ring. Robot sumo has already made its way into many robot clubs, high schools, and universities. The popularity of this event can be credited to its low part costs and simplicity of rules. In 2001 alone, more than 4,000 robots competed in a 4-month season in Japan and those numbers are growing at an exponential rate. Innovation is what keeps this “game” growing in numbers and proves invaluable for student participation and educational advancement [20].

Naturally, in order to prove my hypothesis, the high school students would also need to be administered an internationally recognized TIMMS exam. These scores would then need to be compared to non-robotic years.

VI. Conclusions

Although the robotic case study has not been implemented to test my hypothesis, I will make predictions on the findings. As forethought, I also believe the conclusions to be correct to a high amount of accuracy. There are many ingredients to this success and I will attempt to touch on most of what I consider obvious outcomes. However, as a person of science, I admit that these ideas are not factual and even incomplete without the study actually taking place.

Public displays of projects and competitions have fostered extraordinary outcomes. So does the cooperative participation with all students. In time, I believe this will portray robotics as a “cool” thing to do in school. This being the case, some of the educational barriers will be hurdled in the process. Especially during the competitions, students will be working with the adults and not for them. Realizations that it is not the gender, race, creed, sex, or social status that matters in reference to partnering in robotics, but what they know and can contribute to the cause is a vital lesson. The differences in people will be grayed out while their possibly unknown qualities will shine. Robotics gives a chance for people who generally wouldn’t have associated with each other to seek each other out for their robotic potential [1 pp. 287-88].

Specifically looking at gender differences, it is important to note the participation of females in robotics. A finding from Robocamp states, “It appears that girls in particular may need encouragement and a formal structure in order to experiment and be creative… They would do more advanced exercises only when specifically asked” [1 p. 321]. Another finding exhumed from the book Robots for Kids details finding at an elementary school in Reston, Virginia. Believing the importance of ideas to be best left in the author’s words,

“We (KISS Institute for Practical Robotics) distributed flyers to the fifth and sixth graders (ages 10-11), and the next day 30 registrations appeared: 29 boys and 1 girl.

This overwhelming imbalance highlighted an obvious need to reach out to girls, and this inspired immediate action on our part. We received permission to present short robot demos for second graders. During these demos, students were invited to push buttons, flip levers, and otherwise interact with a couple of real robots. We then distributed flyers to the second graders for an after-school robotics class. This time we had enough response to form two classes, and about 40 percent of the registrants were girls.

Four years later when this group became sixth graders, we again offered a fifth/sixth-grade class. This time half the students who signed up were female. None of this resembles an actual scientific study (why we are developing); however, there was a fairly strong indication that when students had a fun experience with robots at an early age, they were much more likely to pursue that topic at a later point in their life. Presumably, the same effect would occur later in life, in that students would be more likely to choose college courses and/or career paths further down the line after having been exposed to fun experiences with robotics in middle and high school” [1 pp. 232-33].

Along with the proposed findings that more students will choose a technical career later in life, I believe that local robotics clubs will also begin forming in the community. This will lead to in depth community involvement of older more experienced people volunteering for robotics help in the local schools. Hence, this cycle will lead to better teachings and of course better projects. Also, I believe this will help perpetuate a more enjoyable school experience for children. This can be proven just by a jump in attendance. Another way to validate the statement is to look at the children’s Christmas/birthday lists. I believe they will include more robotic related materials than before.

All of these reasons encapsulate why math scores will improve. More specifically, I believe scores will improve by at least 10 points on the TIMMS scores as compared to non-robotic years. I say this because,

“In regu
lar classes many teachers try to use grades to motivate students, and sometimes they miss the mark. It is best for students to push themselves to excel, so teachers give exams to test student achievement and attach a grade to motivate students to do their best. But one of the real problems of…education is that grading standards vary widely and continually slip downward. At the same time, students would seem to be foolishly wasting their time if they did anything more than the minimum required to get an ‘A’ in a class” [1 pp. 289].

Also, I foresee a higher enrollment in advanced math and science classes. This is, of course, a result of more students having their eyes opened to technical careers and taking proactive educational steps to achieve these dreams. If more students enroll in advanced math classes, then more students will score better on nationwide math based exams. In addition, lets not forget that students have been unknowingly working on problem solving skills and math based robotic inspired formulas for the duration of the year. The best part is that these processes were probably utilized in a majority of the student’s free time as projects were being created and completed. If portions of students are inspired to focus on robotics every spare hour they are free, increased math use is unavoidable. Hence, with this practice, so is improvement upon these skills. A 12-year long study of the continued robotic intervention of the 1st graders to their 12th grade testing would be interesting. The implications of perpetuated involvement in the robotics field would be fascinating.

People under the legal age of 18, or dare I categorize them as children, possess all the tenacity, creativity, and capacity to learn, as do adults. Channeling these incredible energies into something as positive and productive as robotics will have effects that ripple on beyond our comprehension. As best stated by a high school participant in FIRST, Daniel Lehrbaum shares his insight on people.

“…I think if students are put in a position where their opinions are valued and their designs are valued and people listen to them, suddenly they can rise to that new level. I think the one thing is that people fill the shoes that you put them in. If the engineers and advisors (that assist the team with FIRST) put them in really big shoes, they are going to fill them. They will do the things they need to do to get the job done. Especially if they are, you know, dedicated to the cause. People can do incredible things” [1 p. 271].

References

1. Druin, Allison, and Hendler, James, eds., Robots for Kids: Exploring New Technologies for Learning, San Diego, Academic Press, 2000, pp.159-62, 232-233, 248-249, 271, 297-288.

2. US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics: Overview and Key Findings Across Grade Levels, March 1999, , accessed May, 12 2004.

3. National Center for Education Statistics, Mathematics: The Nation’s Report Card (home), 17 June 2003, , accessed May, 12 2004.

4. Honda, ASIMO: North American Educational Tour, 2004, , accessed May, 12 2004.

5. Sony, Enhanced Motion Control and Communication Capabilities in Small Biped Entertainment Robot (SDR-RX II) to be Exhibited at RBOBDEX2003, 24 March 2003, , accessed May, 12 2004.

6. Sony Electrons e-Solutions Company, ERS-7: AIBO Entertainment Robot, 2002, , accessed May, 12 2004.

7. TechTV, Robot Wars (Home>TV Shows>Robot Wars), 2004, , accessed May, 12 2004.

8. Karagiannis, Konstantinos, “Exploring Robotics Online,” Popular Electronic, April 1999, pp. 9-12.

9. Cook, David, Robot Building for Beginners, Berkeley, Apress, 2002.

10. Hrynkiw, Dave, and Tilden, Mark W, Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels: Building Simple Robots with BEAM Technology, Berkeley, McGraw, 2002.

11. Lego, Lego Mindstorms, 2004, , accessed May, 12 2004.

12. Sato, Jim, trans., Jim Sato’s Lego Mindstorms: The Master’s Technique, Berkeley, No Starch Press, 2002.

13. McComb, Gordon, “Cyberk’nex—Part Robot, Part Fun,” Poptronics, March 2001, pp. 55-56.

14. Williams, Marifrances, “New Legos Let Kids Become Droid Designers,” Electronic Design, 8 March 1999, p. 68.

15. Erwin, Benjamin, and Paperet, Seymour, Creative Projects With Lego Mindstorms, Second ed., Boston, Addison, 2003.

16. Cole, Lisa, and O’Connor, Jane, “The Nuts and Bolts of Robot Building with Kids,” Tech Directions, February 2003, pp. 19-22.

17. Mauch, Elizabeth, “Using Technological Innovation to Improve the Problem-Solving Skills of Middle School Students,” Clearing House, March/April, 2001, pp. 211-13.

18. “Using and Hacking Robots with Lego Mindstorms,” Poptronics, January, 2000, pp. 61-64.

19. FIRST, “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” , accessed May, 12 2004.

20. Miles, Pete, Robot Sumo: The Official Guide, Berkeley, McGraw, 2002.

Medical Tourism in Thailand

Posted on by
Reply


1. Medical Tourism in Thailand

Introduction

Health travel, once a luxury of only the rich, can now be enjoyed by virtually all. In the days of yesteryear, hardly anyone even pondered the possibilities of going abroad to a distant foreign land to have treatment. But now, with the advent of the world becoming the one and only global village, millions are crossing international datelines in hope of achieving a ‘better new life’.

One of those countries which have sprung to life as a destination for medical treatment is the south-east Asian country of Thailand. Unlike most Western countries, the cost of private medical treatment is cost-effective where hospitals do not charge a bomb. Contrary to popular belief, the standards in Thailand are of an extremely high international standard where many of the health workers have graduated in developed Western countries. Looking at it straight on, the reality is – Thailand can offer the patient the same kind of treatment as back home while enabling him or her to enjoy the holiday of a life time. The uptrend of medical tourism in Thailand is escalating to meteoric heights.

History

Thailand’s first hospital was founded during the reign of King Chulalongkorn and the Medical Association of Thailand was established in 1921.

Prince Mahidol, the father of the present king Bhumibol, has much to do with developing medical schools in Thailand and goes down in Thai history as ‘The Father of Modern Thai medicine’. Prince Mahidol realized the importance of bringing Western standard medical practice to Siam and so helped fund many of Thailand’s doctors and nurses to go abroad to further their studies at institutes such as Harvard and MIT in the United States. And it was those health workers who planted and later sowed the seeds of a world-class medical network in Thailand.

Latest Situation

Westerners are currently arriving in Thailand, the Land of Smiles, in exhilarating numbers to undergo medical treatments at a fraction of the cost as that charged in their home countries.

On top of having treatments conducted by highly trained and skilled doctors, patients can also enjoy a marvelous holiday in one of Asia’s prime tourist destinations. Many of the country’s hospitals are now globally renowned for their expertise. They include Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok General Hospital, Samitivej Hospital and Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital.

Figures and Statistics

Thailand as a destination for medical treatment has rocketed in recent years and they have the statistics to prove it. Take just one country like the United Arab Emirates for example – over 60,000 of their citizens a year come to Thailand to enjoy treatment. Two of the Thailand’s top hospitals Bumrungrad and Samitivej treat patients of whom 40% are foreign – this kind of high percentage is quite phenomenal.

According to the Kasikorn Research Centre, 2005 alone attracted an unprecedented 1.28 million foreign medical travelers which generated revenue of 33 billion baht. That means therefore, that on average each patient spent 25,800 baht for their treatments. It was revealed in an article in Newsweek in 2006 that 400,000 foreign patients were treated at just Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok. This prestigious world-class hospital has an outpatient capacity of 6,000 patients per day.

Thailand presently has a free universal health program for its citizens with more than 600 hospitals and 400 medical facilities. Today, Thailand has proudly become a medical hub for patients from the United States, Europe, the surrounding countries, and the Middle East.

2. Why Thailand / Reasons to chose Thailand as the medical destination

Introduction

There is no single reason why so many folk come to Thailand to receive medical treatment. Not only is Thailand a superb destination for stunning beaches, islands, mountains, modern infrastructure, cuisines, low costs and friendly people, there are other reasons too.

Some of the Best Hospitals in the World:Thailand has, over the years, spent furtively in developing its medical tourism infrastructure and established over 30 English speaking hospitals, innumerable dentistry clinics and other alternative healing centers. Some are accredited to prestigious boards including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the International Organization for Standardization.

Incredible Service:It is no joke when Westerners write on the Internet or chat in bars that the service, look and ambiance of Thailand’s hospitals is similar to that of a five-star hotel. The treatment received from doctors, nurses, orderlies, administrators, and technicians is outstanding and the doctor patient ratio is as low as 1:4.

Extra-ordinary value for money:Foreign patients can expect to pay just 10-50% for the cost of treatment, in comparison to what they would pay back home. The likes of hip surgeries, teeth whitening, face lifts, x-rays, mastectomies, and heart bypasses can all be performed at very affordable prices. With the money they save they can enjoy a memorable holiday and even go back home with cash leftover.

Unique Procedures:Many hospitals are offering treatments which are virtually unheard of elsewhere.

Excellent Long-lasting Outcome:Some of Thailand hospitals have been recognized for performing outstanding treatments for several procedures while producing excellent outcome with long lasting effects.

Thailand is Amazing for Relaxing: After treatment, patients can experience spas and resorts which are universally famous for exceptional service and comfort, while looking over beautiful virgin beaches or remote mountains. 

International Health Care System

Thailand top hospitals provide prompt and complete response in any emergency situation and are recognized outside of Thailand as having standards equivalent to that of those in the West.

Foreign Patients: The renowned Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok attracts on average 400,000 foreign patients per year or an average of 1,000+ a day. Other hospitals too, such as Samitivej also specialize in serving foreigners.

Regulatory Agency: Private hospitals in Thailand are accredited by the government according to standards that meet or exceed those in North America. Only four countries in the world – the United States, Canada, Australia, and Thailand – require private hospitals to meet rigorous medical and healthcare standards and be duly accredited as achieving those standards.

International Accreditation

The standard of treatment in Thailand is considered in North America of being one of the highest in the world with most of their doctors holding US professional certification. Many of the hospitals have international JCAHO accreditation; this is an organization which is the primary inspector of hospitals, nursing homes and other medical institutions in the US.

All of Thailand’s hospitals have to be licensed by the Health Ministry and the same applies to the doctors. In fact, some of the hospitals in Thailand have accreditation from Western medical associations. Most of the country’s major hospitals also have achieved other accreditation being the International Standards Organization’s ISO 9001:2000 accreditation.

Many of the doctors in Thailand have graduated and trained in Europe and the US and hold medical credentials form there. The hospitals also have working relations with Western hospitals. The UK Foreign and Common Wealth Office verifies that Bangkok has “Excellent International Hospitals” and the US State Department has stated that Bangkok also offers “Excellent facilities exist for routine long-term and emergency healthcare.

Technology

The most up-to-date state of the art developments and technologies have been introduced in Thailand to enhance medical facilities and treatment. They include:

- DSA (Digital Subtraction An
giography),

- Digital Mammogram allowing accurate diagnosis and early discovery of cancer in women.

- Green light PVP Laser for ProstateTreatmernt to precisely target prostate tissue with a high powered laser beam.

- PET/CT Scanner (Position Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography Scanner) assist in the earliest detection of cancers and assess heart muscle viability for the evaluation of functional brain anatomy.

- Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery System Installed and Operating helps applies doses of radiation, allowing it to destroy diseased tissue or cauterize a problem area without affecting healthy adjacent tissue. Other treatments are cancerous tumors, arteriovenous, malformations and Parkinson’s disease.

- 4D Ultrasound creates a motion life-like picture with the speed of 25 volumes per second.

- magnetic Resonance Imageing (MRI – Intra Achiva 3.0T MRI) allows the detailed information necessary to detect blood circulation abnormalities and is particularly useful in the early detection of brain cancer.

- Gamma Knife Surgery makes non-invasive brain surgery possible by applying hihgly targeted gamma radiation to the treatment of tumors, arteriovenous malformations of the brain and functional disorders.

- IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy) focuses radiation doses on tumors without damaging the surrounding tissue.

- Minimal Invasive Heart Surgery, the da Vinci Surgical System uses robotics to translate the surgeon’s natural hand movements into the micro movements of a robotic arm. The surgeon is able to apply less invasive incisions with unprecedented precision, lowering risk, accelerating recovery, and greatly reducing scarring.

Doctrine of Indoor Management Under Indian Company Law

Posted on by
Reply
Doctrine of indoor management

Memorandum of Association and articles of association are two most important documents needed for the incorporation of a company. The memorandum of a company is the constitution of that company. It sets out the (a) object clause, (b) name clause, (c) registered office clause, (d) liability clause and (e) capital clause; whereas the articles of association enumerate the internal rules of the company under which it will be governed.

Undoubtedly, both memorandum of association and the articles of association are public documents in the sense that any person under section 610 of Indian company act, 1956 may inspect any document which will include the memorandum and articles of the company kept by the registrar of companies in accordance with the rules made under the destruction of records act, 1917 being documents filed and registered in pursuance of the act. As a consequence, the knowledge about the contents of the memorandum and articles of a company is not necessarily restricted to the members of the company alone. Once these documents are registered with the registrar of companies, these become public documents and are accessible by any members of the public by paying the requisite fees. Therefore, notice about the contents of memorandum and articles is said to be within the knowledge of both members and non-members of the company. Such notice is a deemed notice in case of a members and a constructive notice in case of non-members. Thus every person dealing with the company is deemed to have a constructive notice of the contents of the memorandum and articles of the company. An outsider dealing with the company is presumed to have read the contents of the registered documents of the company. The further presumption is that he has not only read and perused the documents but has also understood them fully in the proper sense. This is known as the rule of constructive notice. So, the doctrine or rule of constructive notice is a presumption operating in favour of the company against the outsider. It prevents the outsider from alleging that he did not know that the constitution of the company rendered a particular act or a particular delegation of authority ultra vires.

The ‘doctrine of constructive notice’ is more or less an unreal doctrine. It does not take notice of the realities of business life. People know a company through its officers and not through its documents. The courts in India do not seem to have taken it seriously though. For example, in Dehra Dun Mussorie Electric Tramway Co. v. Jagmandardas, the Allahabad high court allowed an overdraft incurred by the managing agent of a company when under the articles the directors had no power to delegate their borrowing power.

The doctrine of indoor management is an exception to the rule of constructive notice. It imposes an important limitation on the doctrine of constructive notice. According to this doctrine “persons dealing with the company are entitled to presume that internal requirements prescribed in memorandum and articles have been properly observed”. A transaction has two aspects, namely, substantive and procedural. An outsider dealing with the company can only find out the substantive aspect by reading the memorandum and articles. Even though he may find out the procedural aspect, he cannot find out whether the procedure has been followed or not. For example, a company may have borrowing powers by passing a resolution according to its memorandum and articles. An outsider can only found out the borrowing powers of the company. But he cannot find out whether the resolution has in fact been passed or not. The outsiders dealing with the company are presumed to have read and understood the memorandum and articles and to see that the proposed dealing is not inconsistent therewith, but they are not bound to do more; they need not inquire into the regularity of the internal proceedings as required by the memorandum and articles. They can presume that all is being done regularly.

The doctrine of indoor management is also known as the TURQUAND rule after Royal British Bank v. Turquand. In this case, the directors of a company had issued a bond to Turquand. They had the power under the articles to issue such bond provided they were authorized by a resolution passed by the shareholders at a general meeting of the company. But no such resolution was passed by the company. It was held that Turquand could recover the amount of the bond from the company on the ground that he was entitled to assume that the resolution was passed.

In one of the case the rule was stated thus: “If the directors have the power and authority to bind the company but certain preliminaries are required to be gone through on the part of the company before that power can be duly exercised, and then the person contracting with the directors is not bound to see that all these preliminaries have been observed. He is entitled to presume that the directors are acting lawfully in what they do.”

In another case where the plaintiff sued the defendant company on a loan of Rs.1,50,000, it was held that where the act done by a person, acting on behalf of the company, is within the scope of his apparent or ostensible authority, it binds the company no matter whether the plaintiff has read the document or not. In this case among other things the defendant company raised the plea that the transaction was not binding as no resolution sanctioning the loan was passed by the Board of directors. The court after referring to turquand’s case and other Indian cases, held that the passing of such a resolution is a mere matter of indoor or internal management and its absence under such circumstances, cannot be used to defeat the just claim of a bona fide creditor.

The rule is based on public convenience and justice and the following obvious reasons:

1.     the internal procedure is not a matter of public knowledge. An outsider is presumed to know the constitution of a company, but not what may or may not have taken place within the doors that are closed to him.

2.     the lot of creditors of a limited company is not a particularly happy one; it would be unhappier still if the company could escape liability by denying the authority of officials to act on its behalf.

Exceptions to the doctrine of indoor management:

The exceptions to the doctrine of indoor management are as under:

1.     Knowledge of irregularity: when a person dealing with a company has actual or constructive notice of the irregularity as regards internal management, he cannot claim benefit under the rule of indoor management. He may in some cases, be himself a part of the internal procedure. The rule is based on common sense and any other rule would encourage ignorance and condone dereliction of duty.

T.R Pratt (Bombay) Ltd. V. E.D. Sassoon & Co. Ltd., Company A lent money to Company B on a mortgage of its assets. The procedure laid down in the articles for such transactions was not complied with. The directors of the two companies were the same. Held, the lender had notice of the irregularity and hence the mortgage was not binding.

In Howard v. Patent Ivory Co, the directors had the authority under the articles to borrow only up to £1000 without the resolution of general meeting. For any amount beyond £1000, they needed the consent of general meeting. But the directors borrowed £3500 from themselves without the consent of general meeting or shareholders and accepted debentures. It was held that they had knowledge of internal irregularity and debentures were good only up to £1000.

2.     Negligence: where a person dealing with a company could discover the irregularity if he had made proper inquiries, he cannot claim the benefit of the rule of indoor management. The protection of the rule is also not available where the circumstances surrounding the contract are so suspicious
as to invite inquiry, and the outsider dealing with the company does not make proper inquiry. If, for example, an officer of a company purports to act outside the scope of his apparent authority, suspicion should arise and the outsider should make proper inquiry before entering into a contract with the company.

Anand Bihari Lal v. Dinshaw & Co, the plaintiff, in this case, accepted a transfer of a company’s property from its accountant. Held, the transfer was void as such a transaction was apparently beyond the scope of the accountant’s authority. The plaintiff should have seen the power of attorney executed in favour of the accountant by the company.

3.     Forgery: the rule in turquand’s case does not apply where a person relies upon a document that turns out to be forged since nothing can validate forgery. A company can never be held bound for forgeries committed by its officers. The leading case on the point is :

Ruben v. Great Fingall Consolidated Co., the secretary of a company issued a share certificate under the company’s seal with his own signature and the signature of a director forged by him. Held, the share certificate was not binding on the company. The person who advanced money on the strength of this certificate was not entitled to be registered as holder of the shares.

4.     Acts outside the scope of apparent authority: if an officer of a company enters into a contract   with a third party and if the act of the officer is beyond the scope of his authority, the company is not bound. In such a case, the plaintiff cannot claim the protection of the rule of indoor management simply because under the articles the power to do the act could have been delegated to him. The plaintiff can sue the company only if the power to act has in fact been delegated to the officer with whom he entered into the contract.

Kreditbank Cassel v. Schenkers Ltd,a branch manager of a company drew and endorsed bills of exchange on behalf of the company in favour of a payee to whom he was personally indebted. He had no authority from the company to do so. Held, the company was not bound. But if an officer of a company acts fraudulently under his ostensible authority on behalf of the company, the company is liable for his fraudulent act.

Conclusion: Thus the doctrine of indoor management seeks to protect the interest of the shareholders who are in minority or who remains in dark about whether the working of the internal affairs of the company are being carried out in accordance with the memorandum and articles. It lays down that persons dealing with a company having satisfied themselves that the proposed transaction is not in its nature inconsistent with the memorandum and articles, are not bound to inquire the regularity of any internal proceeding.

Preflight for Graphic Design and Prepress, an Application or Process?

Posted on by
Reply


Preflight for Graphic Design and Prepress, an Application or Process?

Designers and prepress operators often think of Preflight as an application. An application that runs on files to verify files and identify potential problems. I have trained hundreds of operators in how to prepare First Time Right Postscript and PDF files. That’s the first thing that I set folks straight on.

Preflight is a process. It’s a process of going through every predictable problem that can happen with your printing job. If you think it’s a software that you run and that’s it, you are not going to be able to produce First Time Right PDF files. There are many, many things that software cannot even check for, and things unique to YOUR jobs, customers, company that are important. Things that MUST be checked to ensure success and accuracy.

50% of commercial printing is headed for a delay or additional costs:

Publishers and printers regularly report more than 50 percent of the digital files they receive are improperly prepared to spec. Thus, these files will need preflight & then repair to go forward. This may be done by a publisher, printer, or kicked back to the graphic designer. At stake is the budget and schedule of the print project. Now, think about that… 50% of commercial printing projects are destined for a delay in schedule or additional costs when submitted!

A graphic design project may be made for print, web, and or video. Depending on the type of media, documents must be prepared exactly to specifications based on final output media. Common file flaws include fonts not embedded or supplied, color space(CMYK vs. RGB, or inappropriate use of Pantone or specialty colors), and resolution conflicts. These are some of the many things that can be identified quickly by Preflight tools. A Preflight tool is utility software that is specially suited to help identify these file issues.

Preflight Software, helpful, required, but not a Whole Solution:

So there are tools that help. But what about things you have to identify by visual inspection? What about bleed and trim margins, placement and position, checking dates on event ads and coupon ads. What about checking every full page ad that is a repeat to be sure that the folio (page number) is deleted or updated. What about copy flow from 2 successive documents in a publication. These are all things that must be checked visually by a human. So, if you want to be a top notch designer or prepress operator, there is a list of important Preflight items that you, the human, must check. I always advise people to develop and update THEIR LIST every time a mistake is found or caught. Use the list as a checklist often enough that it becomes completely automatic to you as you prepare and process graphics files. If you get burned on a project, think of making that a part of your preflight checklist. An example or beginning preflight checklist can be found at this URL, review it and use it as a starting point.

http://prepressforum.com/preflight/job_planning.html

Preflighting Applications, Help, and History of Preflight:

I once read an article that stated Preflight Applications were invented in the 1990′s. Actually, preflight applications are nothing new at all. The early layout applications like Quark Xpress, Aldus PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop, Ready Set Go, were the first preflight applications. Preflight applications were invented in the 80′s, and have been improved upon and developed since. Today there is a Free Preflight Tool available called FreeFlight™ at the URL below, you can download the software free and get free help and support.

http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

There is also an online community at PREPRESSFORUM.COM that has extensive and free, user to user support. I help folks there most every day and the site is chock full of great insider tips, tricks, problems and solutions. I would encourage any designer, publisher, or printer to join and participate, teach or learn. All experience levels are welcome to post and answer questions at this site.

Examples of First Preflight Software Tools:

Example (A) PageMaker has a links palette that scanned through the document providing a report about images linked/missing, RGB/CMYK, Tiff/EPS, etc. This was a preflight results report covering the main document AND many support document files combined. Thus Pagemaker was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output.

Example (B) Quark Xpress has had a usage palette, when called, it scans through the open document providing detailed reports about fonts used/missing, images used/missing/modified, image types, image colors, image paths. This was a preflight results report covering the open document AND many support document files combined. Thus Quark Xpress was a preflight tool that could report on files originating in other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output. Additionally Quark Xpress may have started collect for output, a feature mentioned in other patents from the 1990′s regarding preflight software invention.

Example© Adobe Photoshop was used to inspect and verify images. Back in the day, a user would grab all the Tiffs and Eps placed into a job. The selected files drag & dropped onto Adobe Photoshop would automatically open and display the color space in the title bar of each file, CMYK/RGB/Grayscale etc. Thus Adobe PhotoShop was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications. An operator could open the Image size palette and verify resolution before closing each document. Thus a semi-automatic preflight of graphic images was performed. So, yes, Adobe Photoshop was and still is a preflight application and a file repair application that could inspect and identify problems in files which it did not originate.

Preflighting, Today’s Hottest Current Applications:

QuarkXpress 6.5, QuarkXpress 7, Adobe InDesign CS2, these applications have built in preflight function these days. Unlike all other preflight software, these are native function that is fast and effective. Best of all, they come at no additional cost to the designer, publisher, or printer. These are built into both of today’s most common preflight applications.

However, there’s a few very critical holes in the built in preflight of these applications. No need to worry, there’s a FREE preflight application caller FreeFlight™ that has been recently released to address this. The application is a free download from a Quark Xtension and Adobe Plug-In developer site . FreeFlight is a must have tool that supplements the use of QuarkXpress and Adobe InDesign CS2 built in preflight. You can download and read about FreeFlight™ at this URL.

http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

“Preflighting” as a printing term came to popularity in the 1990s as printers and service bureaus ensured that problematic files would be caught and fixed before they found their way into CTF (Computer to Film) workflow. In this century the term has evolved into other variations, like post-flight, indicating when in the workflow the file is actually verified. To Preflight is proactive quality control, Postflight is reactive quality control. Preflight is good manufacturing process, Postflight is not. This may be a nice topic for later. Take my word on it and avoid Postflight workflow schemes. Real craftsmen and professionals find and fix all problems at the earliest possible point. Many of these tools below are actually post-flight oriented tools.

Preflighting, The Older Expensive Applications for the job at hand:

Markzware FlightCheck Classic: This preflight software is developed by Markzware Software. Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic is a
standalone application that scans, verifies and collects each job for output. Currently available as version 5.8 (6.0 was due out this fall), Although it was the gold standard for years and is still a great tool, the software is not staying current with releases of software. Example Quark Xpress 7. Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic will preflight a wide range of digital file formats, including PDF documents and those created in most popular native application programs (QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, etc.). Ground Controls enable users to highlight potential problems, out of more than 150 choices, for which to search. Single-user licenses for Windows and Mac users are available for about $400. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it’s users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.

http://www.markzware.com

Markzware FlightCheck Collect!: This preflight software deemed the “lite” version of Markzware’s FlightCheck Classic, FlightCheck Collect! inspects for common file problems, like improperly assigned color space, missing fonts and image or resolution conflicts. Once preflighted, the application can then collect the document, including images, extensions and screen and printer fonts, for output. Markzware offers Windows and Mac versions for around $180. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it’s users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.

http://www.markzware.com

Markzware HawkEye: This preflight software from Markzware is HawkEye, a preflighting tool designed specifically for designers and content creators. It runs as a plug-in to most popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Illustrator, Acrobat, FreeHand and more. Before content is created, designers can create specifications (known as TrueFileSpecifications) for each job they plan to create. For example, an art director can choose the color schema or font set to use. If the designer mistakenly places an element into the document that doesn’t meet the TrueFileSpecifications, he or she is immediately alerted to the discrepancy. Users can also choose to forbid saving or printing a file that is in a “failed” or “unfixed” state, helping to better manage revisions, versions and cut down on consumable waste. This product from Markzware was advertised and was on a seybold Hot Picks 2002 but may have been pulled or may have never made it to market, unable to confirm at Markzware’s site?

http://www.markzware.com

PDF/X-1 Verifier 2.0: This preflight software developed for the DDAP (Digital Distribution of Advertising for Publication association, www.ddap.org), this application verifies the integrity of PDF/X-1a files, the professional format of choice for print advertising. This application is suited for both digital ad designers as well as file recipients like publishers, prepress suppliers and printers. It offers pass-fail results or more comprehensive preflight reports. DDAP members can purchase single-seat licenses for about $95; non-members pay about $125.

http://www.ddap.org

Apago PDF/X-1 CheckUp: This preflight software developed by Apago offers PDF/X-1 CheckUp 2.5, a plug-in to Adobe Acrobat that preflights and produces PDF/X files. It supports both ISO (International Standards Organization) PDF/X-1:2001 and PDF/X-1a:2001 standards. Mac and Windows versions are available for Acrobat 4.0.5 and 5.0, for about $250ea.

http://www.apagoinc.com

Enfocus PitStop Professional: This preflight software developed by Enfocus Software, PitStop Pro preflights and edits PDF documents. It checks for 140 potential problems and offers 70 automated correction features. After running the document through preflight, users can edit existing objects and text, or add new elements. It’s also equipped to re-map color space or tag/detag images with ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles. The software comes with several common PDF profiles to select according to a file’s final destination. Windows and Mac versions of PitStop Professional are available for about $550. Enfocus Pitstop is a great tool for repairing bad PDF files. However, it is not recommended as a Preflight solution. Since the PDF is the end result, to check a PDF files is really Postflight, a good preflight workflow is about making good PDF in the first place.

http://www.enfocus.com

Extensis Preflight Pro: This preflight software is developed by Extensis, Preflight Pro inspects entire folders of native application documents created in popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Acrobat, Illustrator, PageMaker, Photoshop and FreeHand. Following preflight inspection, the software then collects the job for output. Mac version is available for about $400.

http://www.extensis.com

TIFF/IT-P1 Checker: This preflight software developed for DDAP by Congruent Development, TIFF/IT-P1 Checker is a bundle of software tools, that includes TIFF/IT-P1 Preflight. Suited for both digital ad and packaging designers, it also represents a low-cost tool for any manufacturing partner that receives a large number of TIFF/IT-P1 files. It’s available in both Mac and Windows versions and costs about $100 for DDAP members, $180 for non-members.

http://www.ddap.org

Asura & Solvero: This preflight software created by OneVision Software AG, Asura eliminates frequently occurring production problems in PDF, EPS and PostScript files, with the help of hot-folder specifications. Asura preflights incoming files, while Solvero automatically repairs common problems. The system keeps a log of all changes made to a file. According to the developer, this coupled solution is most popular among newspaper publishers, which receive a wide range of digital file formats.

http://www.onevision.com

AdCheck: This preflight software developed by Total Integration, AdCheck 2.1 allows users to open and view production-image format files, including TIFF/IT, CT, HC and LW, using a standard Mac workstation. Its Show Info prompt provides detailed information about the file, including size and colors used.

http://www.totalint.com

Markzware MarkzNet: This preflight software developed by Markzware, MarkzNet is not an out-of-the-box preflighting solution. Rather, it’s a blend of the company’s popular FlightCheck technology with systems integration. For high-volume production environments, MarkzNet provides a Web-based portal into a company’s production workflow. Customers submit files with drag-and-drop simplicity. Files are automatically inspected for flaws or conflicts with the recipient’s specifications and either pass or fail. Failed files are rejected and both recipient and sender are immediately alerted to the problem. If the file passes, it’s automatically forwarded to the next stage of production for a truly seamless digital workflow. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.

http://www.markzware.com

Preflight Online: This preflight software developed from a partnership between Extensis and WAM!NET, Preflight Online is a Web-based solution for printers and publishers that need a custom-branded solution for receiving digital files from customers and advertisers. It accepts a wide range of file formats, including EPS, native Quark and Adobe PDF, preflights them and forwards files that pass directly to the recipient’s FTP server. There’s a one-time admin charge, as well as a monthly subscription fee that’s based on the customer’s actual inspection traffic. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.

http://www.extensis.com http://workspace.wamnet.com

TIFF/ITeyes: This preflight software developed by Rorke Data, enables users to view the complete data in TIFF/IT-P1 files, the widely adopted accredited
standard for digital ad exchange. Users can measure X-Y coordinates, as well as CMYK values. http://www.rorke.com

SpeedFlow Check: This preflight software developed by OneVision, SpeedFlow Check is one component of a suite of tools that preflights, edits and imposes PDF, EPS and PostScript files. Files that pass SpeedFlow Check inspection are saved in PostScript or PDF form (depending on the manufacturer’s or publisher’s workflow) and sent to a hot-folder on the server. Problems may be fixed manually in SpeedFlow Edit and electronically routed to SpeedFlow Impose for impositioning.

http://www.onevision.com

Nanotechnology as Career

Posted on by
Reply


Nanotechnology – the science of the miniature, and the technology of the future – is one of the most exciting and wide area of research which may lead to the greatest technological advances of the 21st century. It is a global phenomenon and an emerging field, that finds its way into a myriad of industrial applications spanning across all areas of science and technology. A form of molecular engineering, it is the technology associated with the creation and scrutiny of minute objects, measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanotechnology can be defined as the application of science, engineering and technology to develop novel materials and devices in different fields in the nano-range.

‘Nano’ in Greek means dwarf. Nanometer (nm) is a unit of measurement used to measure very small particles like atoms and molecules. One nanometer is equal to one-billionth (10-9) of a meter. Entirely different from bulk material, nano-materials are 5,000 to 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. These light but strong, transparent materials are very active and aggressive in any chemical reaction. Nano-materials can be mixed with strong or weak materials to make them thousand times stronger and more efficient. Carbon and diamond are super examples of nano-materials. The concept of Nanotechnology originated in 1959 and was founded by the American physicist Richard P Feynmam. But the term ‘Nanotechnology’ was first used in 1974 by Japanese scientist Prof. Norio Taniguchi at the Tokyo Science University. However it was introduced to the world in 1986 by K. Eric Drexler, an American Engineer and the founder of Foresight Nanotech Institute.

Nanotechnology is a unique and special branch of science that essentially combines physics, chemistry, biology, engineering etc. Sometimes known as molecular manufacturing, it deals with the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic circuits and mechanical devices built at the molecular level of matter. The application of Nanotechnology will open new avenues of research in the world of science and engineering in almost every field, from medicine to fabrics. Due to this, the relatively new field is fast emerging as the favorite of all kinds of technological arena and will be one of the most significant enabling technologies in the future.

Even though the field is popular abroad, it is quite recently that Indian industries have started realizing the commercial viability of Nanotechnology. In India, Nanotechnology is at its infancy stage and is targeted towards the main streams like electronics, healthcare markets, and other industrial products. Many scientific institutions have been doing Research and Development (R&D) in this field. The scope and application of Nanotechnology is tremendous and mind-boggling and it is one of the hottest career option available to Indian Engineering graduates. It is an apt career for those who have a scientific bent of mind and a passion for solving mysteries of the minutest molecules. Students with a science and engineering background and even mathematics with physics background can pursue Nanotechnology as a career. Candidates with M.Tech in Nanotechnology are in great demand both in India and abroad.

It is a powerful technology which aids the development of products with futuristic performance. All major sectors of life will be effected by this new area. The two major categories of Nanotechnolgy are Nanoscale technology and Molecular manufacturing. Nanoscale technology covers small structures and can be used for introducing stronger materials, better medicines, faster computers and so on. Molecular manufacturing is an attempt at building mechanical and chemical manufacturing systems that join molecules together.

What is Iso Certification?

Posted on by
Reply


As businesses large and small seek to establish their claim on what today is a truly global market place, ISO certification has risen to the forefront like never before. In fact, becoming certified with the ISO can mean a big jump in a business’ prospects, simply due to the recognition factor.

What is the ISO?

ISO is the shorthand term for the International Standards Organization. This body was developed in Switzerland in 1945, right after World War II. The purpose of the body is to create international standards for industrial and commercial products within a business. Although it is officially a non-governmental organization, the power and money that the organization wields is enough to make governments in all developed countries take an interest in what they have to say, often turning ISO recommendations into law.

ISO certification

Receiving certification by the ISO means that a business has agreed to uphold certain standards and practices in its day-to-day operations. These standards are of particular importance when it comes to industries and commercial interests that may have a significant environmental impact through the discharge of waste of by-products.

In order to achieve ISO certification, a business must be able to demonstrate compliance with ISO standards in these areas; and not just those that are enshrined by law in the country where the business is based.

ISO certification will demonstrate both to other businesses and an ever more aware customer base that a company does indeed uphold certain strict standards when it comes to operations. The ISO community is so broad that simply through joining, a business stands to greatly increase productivity on an international scale. It is more visible, both to other like-minded corporations and to individual concerned consumers.

ISO certification does require a certain amount of paper work to be filled out on a regular basis in order to remain current, but in many cases a business will find that this helps the entire business process. A “forced organization”, as it were, is still a guaranteed way to keep processes and procedures flowing. To sum up, ISO certification means an acceptance of standardized practices that will improve the visibility and operations of any company that deals in the areas the ISO covers. It also acts as a seal of approval, signifying a company’s commitment to the health of the people in the country where it is located and the environment in general.