A second-year student of Electronics and Communication Engineering of Nandha Engineering College, Perundurai, and his professor have come up with two automatic sanitiser dispensers.

R.K. Boopesh and Assistant Professor M. Srinivasan had developed the dispensers at the Centre for Innovation and Product Development cell in the college and demonstrated its usage.

Mr. Srinivasan said the ultrasonic sensor he developed detected the palm and dispensed one ml sanitiser at a given point of time and the machine can be used indoor and outdoor. “Certain dispensers function on infra-red sensors and natural light triggers the sensor,” he added. The machine could hold 500 ml sanitiser and could be operated with batteries. The cost of the machine came around ₹3,000, he added.

Mr. Boopesh said analog components were used in his machine and it could hold one litre sanitiser and dispense two ml. “Even if the palm is placed below the sensor for a long time, the machine dispenses only two ml,” he said and the cost came around ₹ 2,000 per machine. An alarm was fixed to refill the sanitiser, he added.

V. Shanmugan, chairman, Nandha Educational Institution, N. Rengarajan, principal, Deans S. Kavitha and C.N. Marimuthu appreciated the two.