Odisha engineering students devise manual grass-cutter to ensure cleaner surroundings without energy consumption

ROURKELA: Offering a low-cost solution to the nagging problem of grass growth and weeds, a group of 10 diploma engineering students of  SK DAV Polytechnic Institute have devised a manual grass-cutter to ensure cleaner surroundings without energy consumption.  

The students, who are in their final year of Mechanical Engineering, conceived the device as part of their project assignment. It took them 10 days to design the grass-cutter using simple accessories. Group members, Jitendra Mahanta and Jagdish Parida said using bi-cycle wheels, iron frames, cycle chain, pedals and other equipment, they managed to produce the manual grass-cutter as a replacement for other lawn mowers most of which run on petrol. “It took us 10 days to ready the machine which requires further modifications to boost its efficacy,” they said hopefully.  

The simple and effective machine, which rests on a four-wheeled structure, is operated with a foot pedal. The blade functions when the operator exerts force on pedals attached to gears. Head of the Mechanical Engineering department Reena Ray said the manual grass-cutter has two main mechanisms of steering and gear. The present machine has only forward movement and needs few changes to facilitate reverse movement. “The grass-cutter can also be converted into a bush-cutter with change of attachments,” she said, adding that even a layman without training can easily operate the lawn mower. Students would be advised to make some necessary changes to make it more useful, Ray said. 

Other team members Amit Soreng, Santosh Oram, Nikhlesh Soreng, Maheswar Majhi, Akash Samal,  Kuna Ray, Manisha Majhi and G Nagma Reddy expressed their satisfaction at innovating a machine which could prove to be an ideal choice in face of rising fuel costs and can be operated by anyone.