Suminda Thilakasena – Open Minds! (formerly: Moving Images blog)

Malima TV show on innovation wins Sumathi Tele Award

I’m delighted that Malima TV show on innovation, which I presented on Sri Lanka’s national TV Rupavahini for much of 2012, just won a Sumathi Tele Award — our equivalent of the Emmy Awards.

A Special Jury Award was presented to Malima at the 18th Sumathi Tele Awards festival held in Colombo on 30 October 2013.

The jury commended the studio-based show for both its content and presentation, noting our creative effort to link technology to everyday life in solving problems.

Exact jury citation (in Sinhala) read:

උතුර දකුණ මාරු නොකොට,

බුද්ධියෙන් ප‍්‍රඥාව කරා,

සතුටින් ගුණ නුවනින් යනුව ජීවිතය ගවේෂණය සඳහා

නව දිශානතියකින් කළ ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමක්.

සංකල්‍ය නිර්මාණයේ නිර්මාණශීලීතාව අගය කිරීමක්.

ජාතික රූපවාහිනීය නිෂ්පාදනය කළ,

නාලක ගුණවර්ධන ඉදිරිපත් කළ,

සුමින්ද තිලකසේන අධ්‍යක්‍ෂණය කළ

මාලිමා වැඩසටහනට පිරිනමනු ලබන සම්මානයයි මේ…..

The award was received by the show’s producer Mr Suminda Thilakasena and myself; it was presented by Ms Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister of Power & Energy, one of the guests of honour that evening.

Ms Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister of Power & Energy, presents Sumathi Tele Award to Suminda Thilakasena (left) and Nalaka Gunawardene on 30 Oct 2013

Sumathi Awards have been organised by the privately owned Sumathi Group since 1995. It has established itself as the leading awards festival of the Lankan television industry that started in 1979.

Rupavahini broadcast of the evening (our award is presented around 16th minute):

Full awards list, as published in Lakbima daily newspaper, 1 November 2013:

Full list of award winners at 18th Sumathi Tele Awards, as published in Daily Lakbima, 1 Nov 2013

Malima: Episode #3 – From mopeds to flying machines, chasing dreams…

Malima (New Directions in Innovation) is a Sinhala language TV series on science, technology and innovation. This episode was produced and first broadcast by Sri Lanka’s Rupavahini TV channel on 9 February 2012.

Produced by Suminda Thilakasena and hosted by science writer Nalaka Gunawardene, it is a magazine style programme. This episode features:

• An interview with versatile Lankan inventor Niranjan Weerakoon, who has several patents and won many awards. We take a quick look at his motorised bicycle (moped) already on the roads, as well as his coconut plucking machine, research on generating electricity from sea waves, and Lakro – the energy efficient wood stove he has recently introduced to the local market.

• The Wright Brothers were indefatigable inventors. What lessons can today’s inventors learn from their pursuit of building and flying the first successful aircraft in 1903?

• The dance of the dung beetle has long amused insect watchers. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden say the beetles use their circular strut as a corrective navigation system when moving dung balls away from the pile. This could inspire the design of future robots. More at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101555.htm

• Interview with young inventor Pasindu Paveetha Ranawaka, age 8, a student of Vidyartha College, Kandy. He has invented a battery-operated electric pen that creates unusual lines and shapes. Can anyone become an artist with such a pen in hand? We experiment to find out.

Malima: Episode 3 presented by Nalaka Gunawardene from Nalaka Gunawardene on Vimeo.

Malima episode #2: New ideas – from robot arms to simplified traffic lights…

Malima (New Directions in Innovation) is a Sinhala language TV series on science, technology and innovation produced and first broadcast by Sri Lanka’s Rupavahini TV channel on 26 January 2012.

Produced by Suminda Thilakasena and hosted by science writer Nalaka Gunawardene, it is a half-hour show in magazine style.

Malima: Episode 2 presented by Nalaka Gunawardene from Nalaka Gunawardene on Vimeo.

This episode features:

• An interview with engineering student W Rakitha Brito who has invented several tools and robots for use in the aviation industry

• A glimpse of the ‘pehi pattalaya’, an ancient Lankan technology for extracting medicinal oil from various seeds

• Why doesn’t the woodpecker get headaches after a hard day’s work? Scientists who probed this have come up with new technology to prevent injury in accidents.

• Interview with young inventor Jayashanka Dushan, 17, a student of Bomiriya National School in Kaduwela, on his invention of simplified, low-cost and energy efficient traffic light using LEDs

Malima – New Directions in Innovation: Episode 1 (broadcast: 12 Jan 2012)

Malima is the Sinhala term for a compass. Malima is also the name of a new TV series on science, technology innovation that I am hosting from this month on Rupavahini, Sri Lanka’s national TV channel.

Produced by Suminda Thilakasena, the show premiered on 12 January 2012. It will be broadcast every other Thursday at 17:30 (5.30 pm) Sri Lanka time.

Malima is a half-hour show in magazine style. Each episode will have several short segments:
– compact interviews introducing accomplished Lankan inventors (with patents, awards, etc.)
– profiles of school children and/or youth who have come up with innovative devices or concepts
– interviews with leading scientists and engineers on frontiers of technology
– vignettes on traditional knowledge and Lankan technological heritage
– news from other countries on interesting new innovations or scientific insights

Dr Wijaya Godakumbura being interviewed by Nalaka Gunawardene, January 2012 — Dr Wijaya Godakumbura being interviewed by Nalaka Gunawardene on Malima

The first episode features:

• An interview with Dr Wijaya Godakumbura, inventor and promoter of the multi award winning Sudeepa safe bottle lamp that saves hundreds of lives

• German aircraft company e-volo has built the world’s first electric multicopter, a new kind of flying machine

• Ancient Lankan technology of extracting medicinal essence from plant products

• Interview with child inventor Sajini Jayanetti, 15, about two of her inventions: Automatic Fixed Amount Liquid Chemical Adder; and a new method to prevent drunken driving