A start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK) has come up with a unique user-friendly wearable device that sounds an alarm to help implement physical distancing norms.
Known as the Veli Band, the wearable device has been developed by Qual5 India, a start-up mentored and funded by IIMK LIVE, the business incubator and entrepreneurship development centre at IIMK.
The band helps to implement physical distancing norms and supports location and contact tracing. It momentarily vibrates, sounds buzzer, and flashes LED simultaneously to notify wearers that another band is within 3-feet (1-meter) distance, reminding them of the need to maintain physical distancing.
The device to be worn on the wrist can anonymously keep track of interactions with other devices and thus not only help in maintaining a safer workplace but also aid in tracking employee movements in real time.
The band is omnidirectional, comes with a rechargeable battery and uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for detection. The demonstration video of the band is available online at https://youtu.be/HrwR6zHgwjo.
Qual5 co-founders Kiranmayee Mallepaddi and Srinivasan Arumugam said the band was unlike mobile apps in the market as not all employees had access to mobile phones at workplaces, thus affecting the effectiveness of app-based solutions.
“The device provides information on which bands/employees have violated the set norms, as this information can help in contact tracing if need be in COVID-19 positive scenarios. The data can also be used to monitor crowded areas to take necessary precautionary actions,” said Ms. Mallepaddi.
IIMK Director Debashis Chatterjee said the Veli band was an example of women emerging not just as business leaders and founders but also as innovators, if appropriate opportunity and support were provided by institutions and society.
“Real entrepreneurs quickly adapt to the changing market environment. Qual5, a woman-founded enterprise, has adapted their expertise of tracking warehouse inventories into a quick, marketable solution in the form of Veli band,” said IIMK LIVE Executive Director Keyoor Purani.