India: A hub for scientific innovation and talent

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India is recognised globally for its premier engineering institutes. The young minds at IITs and IISc have come up with some brilliant ideas that will convince you that our country is one powerhouse of talent.

E-scooter — IIT-Madras students invented an e-scooter, the battery of which charges faster than the phone. S340 is one of the first smart e-scooters and its battery charges within an hour. It can easily go on for 50,000 kilometers with its battery pack.

NETRA — IIT-Bombay students invented NETRA. NETRA is an autonomous hovering Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a drone that helps the Indian army with rescue operations during natural calamities.

Rooftop solar panels — IIT-Palakkad invented a purely mechanical method to rotate rooftop solar panels to follow the sun without the need for motors or battery systems. The device is based on a mechanical clock; an ancient technology proven to be inexpensive, precise, and reliable.

Vacuum storage device for farmer’s carts — IIT-Kharagpur invented a vacuum storage device for farmer’s carts. It is a method and mechanism to increase the shelf life of vegetables and fruits, without the use of refrigeration.

Non-invasive Heart Condition Detector — A non-invasive device was invented by the students of IISc. The device simply needs to be wrapped around a person’s chest, while the sensors detect cardiac activities, measure blood pressure, count blood glucose levels, and monitor respiration. Made of an optical fibre sensor, this device can easily help detect heart conditions early.

Smart watch — IIT-Guwahati invented a smartwatch that monitors for dehydration and, if symptoms are detected, warns users to drink water.

Alcohol-sensing helmet — IIT-BHU students made an innovative alcohol-sensing helmet that won’t let you start a bike if you’re drunk. The Advanced Breathanalyser Helmet uses Bluetooth encryption technology, which was among the top 5 short-listed projects at the Ericsson Innovation Awards held at IIT-Delhi.

Biomass-based biogas plants developed at IISc have helped in addressing energy shortage in rural areas. More than 35 large and 200 small bioreactors are in operation using diverse biomass sources including agro-residues, which helps in recycling too.

A low-cost, low-power soil moisture sensor powered by a solar cell array has been developed at IISc. The sensor can test different kinds of soil and accurately measure moisture content up to 30%, which is above the saturation limit for most soils.

IIT-Bombay invented an inexpensive device to clean reusable sanitary pads. The apparatus is a small mechanical washing machine.

IIT-Madras invented a device to monitor glucose level and ensure a proper dose of insulin for diabetics. It is an automatic machine that can administer the correct dosage of insulin based on the blood glucose level.