THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, health experts have been emphasising on the importance of keeping the hands germ-free, either by using hand sanitisers or soaps. To help reduce contact and prevent the chances of infection, a group of youngsters of the city-based NGO ‘Key 4 Educated Youth’ have developed a touch-free hand sanitiser dispenser using sensor-based smart electronics.
The idea of the automatic touch-free hand sanitiser dispenser was conceived and developed by Prabhul Harshan along with a team of 10 members. “We created an automatic touch-free sanitiser dispenser which has become a need of the hour,” says Prabhul, team head, Key 4 Educated Youth. The device is rechargeable and automated. It dispenses alcohol-based hand rub sanitiser from a three-litre tank using a small and powerful diaphragm pump.
The device can dispense a volume of three ml at one go. Prabhul says: “The sanitiser is dispensed instantly once the sensor senses the presence of hands. The user is then able to collect the dispensed volume in a cupped hand.”The device works on the principle of automatic obstacle detection with the use of infra-red proximity sensor. Created at a minimum cost, Prabhul says: “It can be installed at hospitals, vehicles, bus stations, police stations and public places.”