THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a country where the rescue operators still rely on medieval techniques, a group of college students has come up with a futuristic equipment, ‘Life-Saving Rover’, that could help rescuers shift victims of calamities to safety. The rover has been developed by Sreedhi S Jayan, Angitha Senan S, Nimmy J S and Aswathy J, all of them third year B Tech Applied Electronics and Instrumentation students at P A Aziz College of Engineering and Technology in the city. According to the students, the rover could be used in earthquake-affected areas and other calamity sites to detect people trapped under debris. The machine, inspired by the design and principle of lunar rover, has numerous applications in a disaster-affected area. The key feature of the rover is that apart from detecting trapped victims, it is also capable of warning the rescue operators of hazards like a broken electric cable or poisonous gases. ‘’We noticed that the present system does not lay emphasis on using technology to ensure the safety of rescuers. This is also a reason that propelled us to the idea of a life-saving rover,’’ said Nimmy. The rover consists of a moving platform, camera, microphone and sensors. It is equipped with various types of sensors which help it to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The proximity sensor installed in the rover helps to detect the presence of any living body within its range. The shock detectors can sense the presence of broken electric cables. This, along with the smoke sensors and temperature sensors, help the rescue operators reach the destination safely. In addition, the microphone installed in the rover is capable of detecting even feeble sounds, which would also help to trace the victims. The sensors used in the rover were developed by the students themselves with the help of their guide, Sarath Kumar S.
Comments
0 comment