When Sathvik S.R., a Class IX student of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru, and his classmates were unable to understand the sign language of a verbally challenged carpenter who was working in their school, they decided to do something to make it easier for him and millions of others like him.
Their invention – gloves with flex sensors that provide an audio output when fingers are moved – drew applause from the jury as well the mentors and fellow participants at the Fall Hackathon 2018 organised by Silicon RD Accelerator, a launchpad for startups, in Mysuru on Sunday.
Sathvik worked with classmates Changappa P.D., Gangadhar K.M. and Karan R., all 14-year-olds, and demonstrated how the flex sensors fixed to the glove worn by the person give certain values when bent while they communicated in sign language.
The arduino – a platform for building electronic projects comprising programmable circuit board with software that runs on computer – sends certain signals over Bluetooth for certain values that are in turn received by an application, which interprets the signals and provides an audio output along with an image.
The team, named ‘Awaaz’, tried to convince the jury that their solution was not only cost-effective, but also user-friendly. Awaaz said they would like to target NGOs that can provide a larger platform to reach millions of people with similar difficulties.
Dealing with backache
Backaches have turned out to be bane of many, especially those whose job involves a lot of desk work.
But, Ajay and his teammate Niranjan have come up with a network of sensors that not only diagnose and alert a person when she or he is slouching, but also provide solutions on maintaining the right posture.
After speaking with doctors, orthopaedics and physiotherapists, Ajay and Niranjan plan to manufacture garments including shifts, T-shirts and jackets fixed with sensors that can be customised to the requirements of an individual.
A total of 80 students and professionals comprising about 18 teams participated in the two-day Hackathon, which concluded on Sunday. The other ideas that were praised at the hackathon included a mechanical device that climbs and plucks arecanut from trees, said Sid Mukherjee, founder CEO, Silicon RD.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – Septmber 03rd,2018