Mangaluru: Even in a time when the modern world is at its technological best, India seems to suffer from elementary, yet devastating problems such as poor crop yields and unclean water. In the face of such adversity, the Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management have turned to India’s young to address these concerns by organising the Sahyadri Science Talent Hunt –2k19.
This eight-month programme culminated with 40 out of the 400 science-project submissions on display at the Sahyadri College campus in Adyar, on Saturday, November 16. The lush green courtyard of the college was charged with an atmosphere of brilliance and innovation as students demonstrated their working prototypes to curious spectators.
Among the buzz of drones and mechanical arms, one such creative mind was Alvas PU College’s Prithvi, who had devised a novel invention that could permanently alter traffic safety regulations – the ‘Smart Helmet’. Elaborating on the project, Prithvi said, “I was originally inspired by everything the government is doing with traffic fines, etc. Although an initial version of the helmet had only a built-in breathalyzer feature, I improvised and added a switch to ensure the compulsory wearing of helmets as well as an accident detector.”
“It can be 100 percent practically implemented with the collaboration of the automobile industry and the government,” he added.
Apart from this, a multi-purpose combine prototype, a drone-sprayer that cures infected areca nut trees and a filtering tool that enables fish excreta to be used for growing vegetables, were some of the inventions that caught the eye.
Speaking to reporters, NAIN Incubation Centre Manager Ashwin Shetty reiterated that the focus of SSTH – 2k19 was to solve local predicaments. He said, “You will not see fancy gadgets or remote-controlled cars here as we have selected those projects that could solve social and local problems. We will be evaluating all the projects later and the top five projects will be sent to the state government for their consideration.”
SSTH – 2K19 is expected to conclude with a closing ceremony that will be attended by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwatha Narayan, Mangaluru City (North) MLA Dr. Bharat Shetty and other dignitaries.
