Light Logics, a Technopark- based company specialised in development of holography equipment, has won the gold medal in the DST- Lockheed Martin India Innovation programme.
The company has been recognised for the development of a new generation Holographic Weapon Sight (HWS) that helps soldiers fire accurately to gain early advantage in combat situations and anti- terrorist operations.
P.T. Ajith Kumar, CEO, Light Logics, received the medal from Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan at a function held in New Delhi last week.
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Dr. Ajith Kumar said the Holographic Weapon Sight was designed to replace the conventional red dot sights and laser sights that depended on tubular vision, restricting the field of view in sharp shooting.
“The hologram, when illuminated with a laser beam, produces a distant virtual image of a tiny spot covered by a circle. The soldier looks through the sight fixed on the gun and uses this image to lock on to the target”, he explained.
“The clear and near- natural eyeglass type view makes the HWS easy to track, aim and rapidly fire the weapon, without squinting. It also factors the bullet drop into the targeting system. Besides, it is not affected by external conditions like dust and snow.” He said.
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The Holographic Weapon Sights developed by Light Logics were tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Dr. Ajith Kumar said the field tests carried out by the Indian Army were also successful. “The holographic elements give better view even in low light conditions. They generate a smaller and well defined central dot, facilitating better accuracy. We have also managed to extend the battery life of the system, a limiting factor for the earlier generation of holographic weapon sights.”
Joint initiative
The India Innovation Programme is a joint initiative by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Lockheed Martin, a US-based defence manufacturer and makers of the F- 16 fighter planes.
Light Logics was selected for the medal from about 500 innovative ideas collected from across the country. A global survey on the commercial feasibility of the technologies was conducted by the University of Texas, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI). The Indo US Science and Technology Forum was also associated with the programme.
Felicitating Dr. Ajith Kumar at a function held here on Wednesday, Secretary and Registrar, Technopark Technology Business Incubator (T_TBI), K.C. Chandrasekharan Nair said, “This award shows the emergence of Kerala IT in the international arena.”
Thanking T_TBI for the support and funding in developing the system, Dr. Ajith Kumar said HWS would help security forces to protect the country better. He said the company had initiated discussions with manufacturers for mass production of the sights.