Voltage Sensing Helmet: A product based on a Vidya student project to hit the market
The story so far
It is a long story and should actually be told in all its details. However, let us make it short. Inspired by Dr Sudha Balagopalan, the then Head of EEE Dept, a group of B Tech (EEE) studentsof the 2013 pass out batch took up the design of a voltage sensing helmet as their final year student project. Sensing the novelty of the idea and the possibility of transforming it into a commercial product, the design was presented in several competitions and won recognition and accolades. Later, one of the team members landed a job in the R&D wing of Raychem RPG Pvt Ltd and the company took interest the design and developed the concept into a commercial product. The product is going to hit the market soon.
Raychem Innovation Centre, the R&D wing of Raychem RPG Pvt Ltd, located at Vadodara, Gujarat, has recently launched “Voltage Sensing Helmet” as their new product. The idea for the new product originated in a student project done by a group of B Tech (EEE) students of the 2013 pass out batch.
One of the projects of Vidya’s 2013 B Tech pass out students “Voltage Sensing Helmet” was a socially relevant research project. This project was based on a study to develop a simple, ultra-low cost device capable of detecting the electric field caused by high, medium as well as low voltage power lines and could be inserted inside the safety helmet of the power line worker.
The team
The following were the students who worked on the original project under the guidance of Dr Sudha Balagopalan and Dr Mary P Varghese:
1. Ramdas M U (Team Leader)
2. Sonu Unnikrishnan K
3. Shahin T A
4. Ashfaq Muhammed T
5. Sreelakshmi Suresh
6. Sruthy A
Among them only Ramdas M U got an opportunity to join Raychem RPG Pvt Ltd and to continue with the further research on their project. Presently he is working as Assistant Manager in the Energy Division (Bangalore Region) of Raychem RPG Pvt Ltd since Dec 2013. Raychem Innovation Centre (R&D Centre of Raychem RPG Pvt Ltd located at Vadodara Gujarat) has recently launched “Voltage Sensing Helmet” as their new product.
Achievements
The design of the Voltage Sensing Helmet won several prizes, awards, recognitions and accolades. Here is a glimpse into the long list of these achievements:
- Obtained 1st prize in the project presentation contest ‘Aavishkar-2012’ as a part of the national level techfest ‘Tathva’ held at National Institute of Technology, Calicut, in October 2012.
- Obtained 1 st Prize in the national level techfest held at METS School of Engineering, Mala, Thrissur District- Kerala in January 2013.
- Obtained ‘Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award (GYTI) -2013’ @ IIM Ahmadabad in March 2013.
- Obtained 2 nd prize and 3 rd prize in the project presentation contest as a part of the national level Techfest held at M G University college of Engineering, Thodupuzha, Idukki District- Kerala and Govt. Engineering College, Kannur District Kerala in April-May 2013.
- Participated as one of the Finalists (top 24 projects) in the national level project competition “Power of Shunya -Challenge for Zero Season 1” organized by Times network – ET Now and DuPont India in September 2013 @ Noida, UP. [ Video Link ]
- Participated in the National Level project exhibition “Inclusive Indian Innovations-2013” held at Pune, organized by Maharashtra University of Health sciences and Persistent systems Pvt. Ltd in December 2013.
- Participated in the project exhibition of G
- YTI Award winners in IIM Ahmadabad, visited by Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam on 19 th February 2014 during IGNITE Awards-2014.
- IMC Inclusive Innovation Awards-2014 on 20 th December 2014 @ Hotel Palladium, Mumbai
- First prize from the IBETO-EXCEL-2015 (Innovation for better tomorrow) National level project competition held at Model Engg. College Kochi on 19 th September 2015. [Project competition was open for all innovators under age of 28 years].
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