Hyderabad: When unseasonal rains destroy crops, especially harvested paddy, farmers often face devastating losses. A student whose family experienced such hardships has developed an innovative solution to protect harvested crops.
A final-year B Tech student of Kakatiya Institute of Science and Technology (KITS), Porika Abhinay Naik of Mulugu district, has come up with an innovation called "Agri-Shield". His innovation is one among the 40 ideas validated in a robotics and IoT workshop conducted by Teckybot and FoundersLab. The event brought together 480 students from three engineering colleges last week for a two-day event.
"Students came up with ideas to address pressing issues. We will guide them towards launching their own start-ups," said Sakuntala Kasaragadda, CEO of FoundersLab.‘Agri-Shield' is an IoT-based automated rain cover system designed to protect crops. "When crops are left to dry, sudden rain can cause significant damage. Many farmers suffer from this, and it made me think of a solution," Abhinay told TOI.
The system he developed uses sensors to detect impending rain, triggering a motor that raises a protective cover over the crops. Once the rain stops, the cover retracts. "The system has been lab-tested, and the next step is to build a prototype," he added. Abhinay is also working on securing a patent for the technology.
Another student, 19-year-old Mukesh Adepu, a first-year student at the same college, has developed his own IoT-based innovation through the Centre for Innovation, Incubation Research, and Entrepreneurship at KITS. Mukesh created a ‘Smart Lighting System' that allows users to control lights and fans remotely via a mobile app. He is also working on a device that can be used for the purpose. "My innovation is cost-effective and customizable," said Mukesh. He also developed an automatic lighting system that switches on or off based on ambient light levels and climatic conditions, and can be controlled via voice commands through Alexa.
Mukesh, who is well on his way to becoming an entrepreneur, has already provided his services to individuals interested in his innovations. Anji Reddy Talakola, who mentored the students, emphasized that the goal of the workshop was to foster a startup ecosystem and encourage entrepreneurship within colleges. The workshop by Teckybot and FoundersLab took place at Sreyas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Hyderabad, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science in Warangal, and Vignan Institute of Technology and Science in Hyderabad.