Coimbatore :

Daniel T Davy from Thejus Engineering College in Thrissur and R C Naveen from PSG College of Technology are hopeful that they will get the much needed support for their innovations. Both students have exhibited devices that would help rescue infants trapped in bore wells. They are among the 550 creative minds who participated in the national  level I3 expo that began on Friday. Daniel has named his device ‘Pit Snatcher’ and recently demonstrated the dummy rescue operation at his college.

“Usually rescuers dig a pit near the bore well to get access to the victim, which is a time consuming process,” Daniel said. The ‘Pit Snatcher’ would rescue trapped infants by directly entering the bore well. R C Naveen, a final year student, has also featured a similar model at the expo called ‘Borebot’. Though he is yet to develop his idea into a model and demonstrate its workings, Naveen says he is confident that victims can be rescued within hours.

Another innovation featured by K Hariharasudan and S Muralidaran, first year students of PSG College of Technology attempts to aid in the rescue of earthquake victims. “Our robots can be guided through the rubbles using mobile phones to identify victims,” Hariharasudan said. The robot, controlled by a mobile phone, has sensors which can detect body heat. As many as 750 innovations by 550 students are exhibited at the expo organised by PSG Institutions in Coimbatore. Organisers say that they received more than 1300 applications from across the country but only 750 were selected. “Screening of applications was done by a team of professors, engineers and entrepreneurs to shortlist the entries,” said an organiser. Inaugurating the fair, Air Defence programme director of DRDO Adalat Ali said that the DRDO will showcase the Prahar and Aakash missiles in the upcoming Seol Air Show. The expo will end on Sunday and will be open to the public from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Snatchers / by S M Arun, TNN / September 28th, 2013