[smekad]

Sorry Prototypes need not look like jugaad. Having been in the electronic/electric design industry for 20+ years I can tell you I have seen better designs come out of universities.

[anupamsinha]

NASA developed memory foam. So this coming from ISRO should not really be a surprise.

Coming to design, I think its better to spend on refining the idea rather than refining the design. It's better to get a functional product first than a great looking non functional product. Secondly ISRO would not be manufacturing the vehicle. They are here only to showcase the technology. So it hardly matters how it looks.

The companies which have been working on EVs have been doing the same since ages and ISRO has a lot up catching up to do. Though it gets the advantage of learning from other's mistake / research but still they will be taking time reaching there.

I am happy for ISRO's effort.

[srishiva]

I couldn't find any official details from ISRO itself on this. I dont think ISRO's capability is in producing cars. They are doing what they know and the technology if found efficient and value for money, could be licensed to manufacturers.

In the sphere of their work, they face issues and come up with solutions which will have applicability in other products. What they do is rocket science. They would have met more critical challenges and have solutions compared to car guys in terms of reliability, durability etc. Its not just battery and motor which amateurs can well do.

[Cool_leo_guy]

Originally Posted by deehunk

ISRO's claims on not compromising the safety aspects of the vehicle are itself a big joke, it's an Omni, the most unsafe car on road in India. Can this be sent to Mars, just waste of money?

I think they are referring to the electrical and electronic side of things when talking about safety. Also they are alluding to the fact that this new tech doesn't compromise on the vehicle safety i.e. make it unsafe. Yes their choice of vehicle is a bit unsafe but this tech doesn't add anymore 'unsafety' to it.

Originally Posted by smekad

Sorry Prototypes need not look like jugaad. Having been in the electronic/electric design industry for 20+ years I can tell you I have seen better designs come out of universities.

What does it matter if it looks like jugaad.
It is a demo platform, for God's sake.
If the showcased tech works and is viable, any number of great looking vehicles can be made out of it by any number of car designers and companies. If it doesn't then jugaad is less heavy on the pocket.( I wouldn't be surprised if this Omni is pre owned)
That omni can always revert back to its old polluting ways.

[srikanthns]

Here, I believe the main point for ISRO is the lithium Ion cell, not the car or using the power for car. We do not have indigeous lithium ion cell nor efficient means of charging them. I think they are trying to do that. the car or the SOLAR panel is probably not the main agenda for ISRO.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

Honestly, bashing the ISRO for an effort that we don't even have any specifications about is naïve and juvenile.

An organisation that was able to send one of the cheapest and most innovative missions to mars is not one that deserves to bashed by people who have no idea about their workings, and only work by the stereotypical idea of Indian organisations only doing shoddy work.

So what they are using an Omni, or the prototype is not as flashy as a Tesla or Faraday future, but that's not their job. Their job is to test the efficacy of certain technologies and also not burning a hole through the taxpayers money, and they have time and again proven themselves.

I applaud ISROs effort, and I am certain that this effort has many details that are interesting that we are unaware of.

Very well said. Thank you for making this point. As you say let's wait and see what comes next instead of jumping to conclusions and bashing an organization.

Off topic - I am surprised (almost shocked) at the bite with which we write on social media hiding as most of us do behind pseudonyms. T-BHP is my only social media interface and maybe I am naïve. But if our names, photos and email IDs were up there instead of a handle to hide behind would we think before penning vicious posts with the finality of gospel truth. Not just on this thread I see it often times all over. Criticism is ok and healthy when backed with facts - it makes the forum richer. But if we wish to criticize for the sake of differing in our view - let's do it - but we can do so politely.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Very well said. Thank you for making this point. As you say let's wait and see what comes next instead of jumping to conclusions and bashing an organization.

+1 to That.

Surprising that the tone is so negative and critical.
The post was that ISRO is trying/figuring out on a solution to a common problem with EVs and they have a working prototype.

[SandyX]

Stopping short of taking sides, the criticism arising here relates to the integration & aesthetics, or lack thereof, of the said prototype. None here knows about the technical side of things & for all we know, ISRO must've solved the perennial issues that plagued the EV scene. If so, great accomplishment indeed.

But when such a prototype comes out from an organization of its repute, it's not exactly out of place to expect it to be better put together for presentation's sake. None would complain much if it came out of some obscure garage but that's not the case here. All it takes is a good metalsmith from a nearby garage & a week's contract to fit a right size solar panel flush with the van's roof. They did not care to do that even though they got the funds.

Yes the underlying tech would still work beautifully without the presentation but why not also display it beautifully when you know you can? The frustration or disappointment stemming from this usually end up in blind bashing because that's another thing this nation is famous for.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by Cool_leo_guy

I think they are referring to the electrical and electronic side of things when talking about safety

Originally Posted by SandyX

All it takes is a good metalsmith from a nearby garage & a week's contract to fit a right size solar panel flush with the van's roof. They did not care to do that even though they got the funds.

Yes the underlying tech would still work beautifully without the presentation but why not also display it beautifully when you know you can?

I agree with Sandy, what ISRO has done here is a kind of project work which our engineering students can do, they may even present it better. They might have chosen an Omni because it gives them space to experiment, so this design may be still in nascent stage. The reason for bashing them is their eagerness to display this vehicle without revealing the actual objective.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

Honestly, bashing the ISRO for an effort that we don't even have any specifications about is naïve and juvenile.

+1
Chandrayaan would have never been a possibility if they were criticized for reinventing the wheel.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Prototypes are always like jugaad.... The jugaad like stuff would all sort itself out once it reaches production.

Originally Posted by prakhar1998

Honestly, bashing the ISRO for an effort that we don't even have any specifications about is naïve and juvenile... bashed by people who have no idea about their workings, and only work by the stereotypical idea of Indian organisations only doing shoddy work... So what they are using an Omni... Their job is to test the efficacy of certain technologies and also not burning a hole through the taxpayers money... I applaud ISROs effort, and I am certain that this effort has many details that are interesting that we are unaware of.

Coming from product development background and having worked on numerous automobile mules and prototypes, I can very well relate to your anguish. A mule/ engineering prototype is not what one sees on roads. Its usually a pre-production prototype.

The Omni here is just a carrier/casing for the intended technology trial. Infact it shows the frugal approach that ISRO has taken while focusing on their core target itself. We dont have details of their target parameters and their achivemement levels. Without that, bashing ISRO is not welcomed. It may be a humble beginning, but not the end.

I hope everyone recalls the below pictures and the where these lead to. Link

Originally Posted by smekad

Sorry Prototypes need not look like jugaad. Having been in the electronic/electric design industry for 20+ years I can tell you I have seen better designs come out of universities.

Just one suggestion. Please see how mules / engineering prototypes are made by the top automobile OEMs and your question will be answered. In case you don't get answer, here it is : complexity, time and money.

Originally Posted by SandyX

All it takes is a good metalsmith from a nearby garage & a week's contract to fit a right size solar panel flush with the van's roof.

Right size ? you mean ISRO could not work out the right size for the solar panel ? Last time I heard, the layout and desity of the solar cells mostly depend on the power/ voltage requirement (I am not a electronic/ electrical guy). And a metalsmith can hammer sufficient solar cells in a given space so as to meet the pawer requirements ?? I am amused.

[mayd85]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

Here, I believe the main point for ISRO is the lithium Ion cell, not the car or using the power for car. We do not have indigeous lithium ion cell nor efficient means of charging them. I think they are trying to do that. the car or the SOLAR panel is probably not the main agenda for ISRO.

+1.

I believe they already have developed Li-Ion cells for space applications. Now they are trying to figure out if the same can be used in automotive applications or not. From what I know, the government is putting a lot of thrust behind electric mobility and indigenous development of corresponding technology, like batteries, motors, etc. I know of one initiative launched by Ministry of Science and Technology which has called for proposals on indigenous development of batteries and traction motors. The details are in public domain and can be found here
http://dst.gov.in/sites/default/file...Jan2017(1).pdf

[deehunk]

From my experience, the major challenge will be space management and weight distribution inside a car. These panels and batteries have a weight factor associated with them which is critical for the final product which ISRO is planning. There was no need to run an Omni by loading the panel on top of it and keeping batteries in the back seat to see whether it works or not. We have seen a compact set up in our labs to do testing back in our engineering days.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by smekad

Sorry Prototypes need not look like jugaad. Having been in the electronic/electric design industry for 20+ years I can tell you I have seen better designs come out of universities.

What comes out of a sarkari Institution? Remember God put a committee to design an animal. What the committee came up was a camel. Despite all its successes ISRO is a government organization, and so must cater to all whims and fancies.

[govigov]

This post

http://tech.firstpost.com/auto/isro-...ar-374326.html

makes me think that this maybe hybrid car rather than an all electric car. They must have mated the electric motor to the non drive wheels? I am not sure.

Also, what is show cased here? The solar cell or the battery?