At one festival of inventions
hosted by Somaiya Vidyavihar, students dreamed up 3-D printed prosthetics, a
light, Wi-Fi-enabled undersea vehicle and cool ways to help the disabled get
around. Here’s how they did it
A3D-printed
prosthetic arm, an autonomous underwater vehicle, and a mobile phone for the
physically challenged — Maker Mela 2019, held last week, displayed some
interesting inventions last week. School students, collegians and entrepreneurs
gathered at Somaiya Vidyavihar to pitch to experts and investors at the annual
event.
Organised
by Somaiya’s Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory (RiiDL) from
January 17 to 19, Maker Mela featured 18 students among the 100 inventors aged
8 to 83, from Pune, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Jaipur and Tripura,
among other cities.
One
team created a 3D-printed arm, with moving fingers. Another had worked out a
prototype for an underwater vehicle that could take pictures of coral reefs and
marine life and share them in real time over Wi-Fi.
“We
are happy to be able to act as facilitators for inventors, help them meet other
creators, network and possibly take their ideas forward,” says Samir Somaiya,
president of Somaiya Vidyavihar.
Gaurang
Shetty, chief innovation catalyst at RiiDL, says that apart from showcasing
their innovations, students get feedback to help improve.
“Out
of the lot, we shortlist six to eight of the top innovations. There is a
session arranged for them to pitch their ideas to industry experts. The experts
ask them various questions, and this is where the team’s presentation and
communication skills come handy. They learn a great deal through the pitching
session. And as they move around checking other exhibits, they get to interact
with other inventors as well.” A HANDY TRICK For 21-year-old Reethan DL, a
mechanical engineering student from Bengaluru, the physical rehabilitation
centre near his house was the inspiration to create a 3D-printed prosthetic arm
and hand. “Our primary aim was to make it low-cost, because affordability is a
big problem with today’s prosthetics,” he says. He and fellow engineering
students Shreyas SP and R Aishwarya worked with Mukesh Patil, head of the
department of mechanical engineering at their college, BNM Institute of
Technology, and with L Vijayashree, head of the MBA department, to create a
prototype.
They
have received a grant of Rs 2.5 lakh from the Karnataka state department of
science and technology. “The arm we have created costs less than Rs10,000,”
Reethan says. “My team already was well-versed in 3D printing and it wasn’t
much of a task to make the prosthetic arm. The prototype cost us Rs 12,000 to
Rs 17,000. But if we create in bulk, the it will bemuch cheaper to make. With
the government grant, we are now planning to make more such arms, reach out to
the disabled at give it to them at a low cost,” he adds. EYES UNDERWATER It
took 20 students a whole year to create a Wi-Fi-enabled autonomous underwater
vehicle that can take pictures of oil fields or coral reefs or aquatic life and
relay them virtually, in real time.
The
vehicle also has a surveillance feature that can display obstacles along the
way.
“We
invested Rs 4 lakh on the device,” says Vivek Mange, 21, an engineering student
at KJ Somaiya who was among the creators. “Unlike the other submersibles that
use advanced technology, our aim was to make one with simple coding and image
processing that can give quality images,” he says.
Their
version is also lighter. “Generally, the machines weigh 200kg to 300 kg. But
our machine weighs just 15kg to 17 kg. It can be remote-controlled gives us
video footage while simultaneously displaying obstacles and showing the paths
available,” Mange says. HOT WHEELS Vishrut Bhatt, 21, an engineering student
from Ahmedabad, created what he calls Handicare, a device that consists of a seat,
a set of six wheels, a steering handle and brake, to help the physically
challenged move around independently.
The
device is modelled on a toy car. It runs when the handle is moved and can be
steered in a leftright direction as well.
Bhatt
describes Handicare as a device for those who have use of their hands but have
leg impairments and cannot move around easily. “I have got 200 people use
Handicare through an NGO in my locality,” he says. “It moves at normal walking
pace.”
It cost him Rs 30,000 to make Handicare, he says. “But I sell it for only Rs 2,500. I have approached the Gujarat government to help us reach as many disabled people as possible.”
students
learn a great deal through the pitching session. The experts ask them various
questions, and this is where their presentation and communication skills come
handy. GAURANG SHETTY, chief innovation catalyst at RiiDL
