Srishti Citizen Space Agency

Co-developed with SCSA team.

Joanna talking about Citizen Satellites project at our classroom in Srishti N3 Campus.

During the one-month interim semester at Srishti, various artists and design practitioners are invited to run experiments or projects that students can sign up for. As someone with a fascination for space, I was excited to participate in the Srishti Citizens Space Agency project led by Joanna Griffin, an artist researcher with a wealth of experience in the field. She has worked on commissions for art/science agency The Arts Catalyst in the UK, created a major astronomy festival in Bangalore called Kalpaneya Yatre: Journey of Imaginations, and has published in Leonardo and Cultural Politics journals. Despite not knowing what to expect from the project, I was happy to have the opportunity to work alongside such a talented and experienced artist researcher. We were all clueless about what was going to happen in the project, and Joanna wasn't ready to reveal much either. However, I was eager to contribute to the team and help create something remarkable out of this project as it unfolds.

Week 1. On the first day of the project, Joanna Griffin, our project lead, started by asking us a few questions about space and its history, and she shared some interesting facts about human exploration of space. She encouraged us to think critically and creatively, urging us to brainstorm questions that could drive our exploration of space and technology. Joanna then asked us to list out our duties as citizens of a nation. We brainstormed and shared our ideas, which she noted on the board. This activity helped us think about the role of individuals in society and their responsibilities towards the community. Next, Joanna distributed newspapers and asked us to categorize the news articles into nature, technology, and society. We read out the articles and discussed their classification, justifying why we thought each article belonged to a particular category. This activity helped us understand the different dimensions of news and how it could be categorized. We were also given a blank chart paper to write down questions that arose from the news articles. Our team chose an article about fatalities during a religious offering in the river Ganga, which led us to question how space technology could be used to enhance the safety of pilgrims during such events. This exercise helped us realize the potential of space technology in addressing real-world problems. Later in the week, we visited the Visvesvaraya Museum and explored its exhibits. We were asked to choose a conceptual direction for our project, focusing on how space technology could touch and enhance people's lives. We brainstormed ideas and selected a direction that we felt had the most potential.

Week 2

Detailing out the problem space.

During Week 2, we delved into our research on Telemedicine and VSAT networks in India. We were motivated by the goal of improving healthcare in rural areas, where access to medical facilities is limited. We sketched out our concept, ATM+, which aims to enhance the existing network of telemedicine in India using VSAT technology [1]. During our second visit to the Visvesvaraya Museum, the curator introduced us to satellite-based systems and their applications in Tele-education and Telemedicine in India. We learned about the challenges faced by rural areas in India, where access to electricity and basic health amenities is limited. We discovered that while over 80% of Indian villages have access to electricity, just 52.5% of rural households have access to it [citation lost]. We were disappointed to learn that the situation is the same with basic health amenities, which are sparsely located around remote areas. In such a scenario, connecting remote areas with the internet seems to be a far-distant dream. However, we were excited to learn that low-cost VSAT antennas provide a solution to this challenge. They guarantee satellite-based connectivity to remote areas, making it possible to deliver healthcare services and connect with healthcare professionals. ATM+ aims to explore the shortcomings of the existing Telemedicine system in India and deliver round-the-clock elementary medical services to remote areas where hospitals are not available. Our research and discussions led us to the conclusion that VSAT networks have the potential to upgrade the current Telemedicine system in India. By using the advanced satellite-based network, we can help deliver round-the-clock medical services to people in remote areas of India.

Old models of rockets lying rusted behind the Visvesvaraya Museum, Bangalore.

Week 3

Sarvashree making paper model of a INSAT satellite.

During Week 3, we continued our research on existing telemedicine networks and focused on developing a semi-working model of our prototype, which we hoped to exhibit at the Visvesvaraya Museum. We aimed to gather people's opinions on the prototype and improve it based on their feedback. As we progressed, I realized that the tools and methods I learned during my last semester in user-centered research were relevant for this project. We worked diligently in our teams to develop the prototype, with one group focusing on the computer setup that would connect to the VSAT network and the other on the kiosk or vending apparatus connected to the computer. We made significant progress towards creating a semi-working model that would provide elementary medical services to people in remote areas where hospitals are not available. We also focused on the exhibit aspects of the prototype. We wanted to ensure that people understood the potential of the technology and its benefits to remote communities. Our team brainstormed creative ways to showcase the prototype, including interactive displays and user-friendly interfaces. In the latter part of the week, we split into two groups to ensure that our progress was consistent. One group worked on the actual prototype, while the other group focused on exhibit aspects. We were determined to create a semi-working model that would be informative and appealing to visitors. Overall, Week 3 was a productive and exciting period for our team as we moved closer to realizing our vision of ATM+. We were excited about the possibility of showcasing our prototype at the Visvesvaraya Museum and gathering people's feedback to improve it further.

While writing the software program that will run inside ATM+ and manage the video call of doctor and patient over VSAT network.

Week 4

Working on the circuitry that will go inside the ATM+ kiosk.

Constructing frame where computer monitor will sit.

During the final week of the Srishti Citizens Space Agency project, we focused on completing the development of the ATM+ prototype. We started by building the computer setup, which included a software program to connect doctors with users over a browser-based video call. We used WebRTC over HTML5 to create this setup. For the demonstration and exhibit, we planned to run the prototype over a local area network (LAN) where one of us would enact the role of a doctor from another room. Visitors could then get a feel of actually visiting an ATM+ and experience its benefits firsthand. We were excited to exhibit our prototype at the Visvesvaraya Museum, and it was a great experience to share our work with senior engineers and people from various backgrounds. We received positive feedback on our project, and many appreciated the potential of ATM+ in addressing the healthcare needs of people in remote areas. Overall, it was an enriching and rewarding experience to be a part of the Srishti Citizens Space Agency project. We learned a lot about the potential of space technology in addressing real-world problems and gained valuable experience in developing a project from scratch. The opportunity to exhibit our prototype at the Visvesvaraya Museum was a highlight of the project, and we were grateful for the chance to share our work with others.

Extended class of Srishti Interim 2013 — Srishti Citizens Space Agency.

SCSA/ATM+ Team: Prakhar Ojha, Gaurav Singh (me), Swati Sharma, Sarvashree Jain, Pragya Sharma

1. Everett, John and Institution of Electrical Engineers, eds. VSATs, Very Small Aperture Terminals. IEE Telecommunications Series 28. London: P. Peregrinus on behalf of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1992.