(Computer, TV, PVR, Video
Phone, Audio Phone all in one)- cost just $250.00
NRI scientist architectures for rural environments
Dr. Raj Reddy, Professor of Computer Science and Robotics
New York, August 17, 2004
Balvinder Grewal, NRI Press
Dr. Reddy's research interests include the study of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. His current research projects include Million Book Digital Library Project; PCtvt: 5-in-1 PC architectures for rural environments (PC, TV, PVR, Video Phone, Audio Phone all in one) for use by illiterate people; 100x100 Networks connecting 100 million homes with 100 mbps+ connectivity (with Prof Hui Zhang and others); RADAR - Webmaster Agent subsystem; MAX: Mobile Autonomous Robot Platform (with Dr Khalid Ali and Ajinkya Bhave); Learning by Doing (at Carnegie Mellon West)
His machine that will serve as a computer, television, telephone and videophone and cost just $250. He has developed a PCtvt, a wireless network personal computer targeted at the four billion people around the world who live on less than $2,000 a year.
His plans to unveil his new project at the end of the year. He feels it is possible to bring information technology within the reach of impoverished communities without depending on philanthropy, a media report said. As his low-cost computer doubles as a TV and a DVD player, Reddy believes he will be able to end the digital divide in developing countries, the New York Times reported.
His device can find a market in developing countries, particularly those with large populations who cannot read, because the machine can be controlled by a simple TV remote control.
Microsoft and Trigem, the South Korean computer maker are backing his project. He is also working on it in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Information Technology and researchers at the University of California at Berkeley.
Dr. Raj Reddy is the Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1960-63, Dr. Reddy worked as an Applied Science Representative for IBM Corp., in Australia. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Stanford in 1966. He joined the Carnegie Mellon faculty as an Associate Professor of Computer Science in 1969. He became a Full Professor in 1973, and a University Professor in 1984. He served as the founding Director of the Robotics Institute from 1979 to 1991 and as the Dean of School of Computer Science from 1991 to 1999.Dr. Reddy received a BE degree from the Guindy Engineering College of the University of Madras, India in 1958 and a MTech degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 1960. He received a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1966.
His professional honors include: Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, Member of the National Academy of Engineering and Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was president of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence from 1987 to 89. He is a recipient of the IBM Research Ralph Gomory Fellow Award in 1991.
Dr. Reddy was awarded the Legion of Honor by President Mitterand of France in 1984 and Padma Bhushan by President of India in 2001. He was awarded the ACM Turing Award in 1994. He served as co-chair of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) from 1999 to 2001. He has been awarded honorary doctorates (Doctor of Science Honoris Causa) from SV University in India, Universite Henri-Poincare in France, University of New South Wales in Australia, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India, University of Massachusetts in USA, University of Warwick in England, Anna University in India and the Indian Institute for Information Technology (Allahabad) . He serves on the Board of Governors of Peres Institute for Peace in Israel.
