Adam: A Revolutionary Tablet PC

For all those who are Apple fans and for those who don’t have a clue, the words iPad are nonetheless bound to generate a conversational buzz. Forget the cheap Chinese imitators and the many other ‘me too’ competitors who want to ride the tablet bandwagon, we bring you probably the most exciting invention from the Indian sub-continent after the digit ‘zero’. But seriously. Once you take a look at the Adam, you’ll be more inclined to agree with my over-enthusiastic introduction. After already outlining the Adam’s features in a previous article, I contacted the creator himself; Rohan Shravan and here we have an exclusive interview:

I’d like to write a ‘concept to creation’ story starting from the idea that germinated in your head when the apple fell from the tree, so as to speak. Not that I’m comparing you to Newton, but you get the point. If I may eat into your precious time (I know for a fact you must be super busy at the moment) as you get ready for an epic battle as David (Rohan) vs. Goliath (Steve) I’d like to ask you a few questions.

1. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what subjects did you study (favorites apart from standard syllabus)? In short what helped prepare you to become who you are today?

I belong from lower middle class family, was more interested in opening toys and then assembling them, and rather in playing with them. Since childhood had made many designs (a full city model for 2075, chalk idols, handmade laptops, telescopes, once tried to make an internal combustion engine as well when i was 14, but failed) Changed some 9 schools, so cant say which was THE one. I was a bit of pain for the professors. Not attending classes. More interested in practical subjects. I have the complete list of grades. From Ex in BTech projects, electronics to F in thermodynamics where i didn’t understand the need to study 60 year old engines. I am a Mechanical Engineer by the way. CAD designing was my favorite subject, along with computers, and electronics. In my summer holidays I learnt Maya, 8086 programming and lots of things which has no relation with engineering (calligraphy, artificial intelligence, economics). I am dyslexic. Suddenly everyone will know what it is after Taare Zameen Par. When professors start teaching carnot engine cycles, I start to see engine working and moving. And by the time the animation ends in my brain, the Prof has already taught the complete engine. Then I thought why not train myself in the same. Now to a very large extent, I can open devices, visualize in 3D, and then explode section, play with forms. Its really fun. In school I used to design games and do 3D animation. That was my 12th class CBSE project as well. Taught IIT JEE students in 12th as well.

But the dream of this device came more from what I wanted to do as kid than from IIT. I wanted to be a musician. But good instruments are costly. i thought of a device which can help kids like me learn anything. Right from music to Lego kits, draw and paint quickly.

3. What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work with?

My day starts and ends in lab. I love to sleep in the lab. Haven’t gone home since I left (Feb 2009), I live in Delhi. I really love the people who are working with me. Realising dreams is becoming tougher and toucher these days. And without them I cannot do anything. I have 3 more from same batch at IITKGP, one school friend and 3 more from IITD, my seniors. Average of people the people working at Notion Ink would be 23yrs.

4. How do you go about designing/creating/inventing, and what goes through your mind, from start to end if there is any?

I am working on the Adam since 2007. I coined the name Adam in 2008, the first of its kind. There is a lot more to Adam than one can see on the surface. AI being my strong field, there is a lot of intelligence and learning which the device is going to achieve soon. It is going to be the first AI assisted OS in the world. But that’s one of the future milestones. Before I fix on idea, I do very deep research. Making mind charts. Asking people random questions, observing how people react to different things. We have filed many patents as well on the new ideas. Unfortunately you cannot file software and UI patents in India.

5. Who or what has been your inspiration?

My mom, my Girlfriend. And orphans.

6. What part of the Adam creation process is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?

Everything has been fun. We have been very lucky in few areas. It was really very tough to make people believe that we can do product, and not service, and that too in India. And funniest part is, even after telling people that its a tablet, they want to open it, and look for a hidden keyboard inside; same in India and US.

7. What are some of the things you do to keep yourself creative?

Observe kids!

8. What is your most favourite feature of the Adam?

I love two of them, and have patents on both. First is the backside trackpad. The idea seems unusual at first, but believe me, when you srart using it, you will think, it was the most obvious invention! People have tried this before but never to the extent we are trying to.

Second is the swivel camera. It’s really fantastic. Right from using it to record presentations in school and taking notes on it, to actually selecting a focal point while taking images, the possibilities are just enormous. Add to that auto-focus, and now you can digitize your business cards, etc.

9. What wisdom could you give us, about being an artist and innovator? (I believe that’s what you are) Do you have any tips you could give?

Don’t allow anyone to steal your dreams. Thats what happen to all of us. We want to be someone else when we are kids. And become something else as we grow up. If people are against you, that’s only until you prove yourself. If your family is against you, that’s only for one year at most.

10. Finally, what kind of wake call would you like to give the youth?

Haven’t seen that film yet. To the youth, I would say, “It’s time we Ink our dreams! Let’s change things instead of complaining!”

Rohan Shravan is Founder and Director Creatives at Notion Ink; a firm dedicated towards the development of innovative products in the information, communication and entertainment space. He has industrial experience in design projects and embedded electronic devices. Notion Ink feel’s the need for devices that re-define the concept of mobility and user-experience, and are working towards bringing convergence to the masses at a faster rate. It is a firm with dynamic mix of experience and youth, and includes various industry experts for collaborative wisdom and creative directions.