HYDERABAD: Drivers circling endlessly for parking spaces. Fuel being wasted. Tempers rising in crowded areas. While most people ignored the problem, a schoolgirl from a remote village in Telangana decided to solve it. Today, that idea has earned her a patent.
Alsa Mamatha, a Class 9 student of the Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School (MPUPS), Bhupalapatnam in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, has received patent registration from the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, popularly known as the Indian Patent Office, for her project titled Parking Management in Crowded Places.
Her innovation proposes a simple technology-based solution to identify vacant and occupied parking slots in busy public places. The project uses IR sensor technology connected to an LCD display system. When a vehicle occupies a slot, the display shows “slot full”, while vacant spaces are indicated as “slot empty”. The model is designed to help manage parking in schools, hospitals, shopping malls, offices and other crowded areas where motorists often spend considerable time searching for space.
What makes the achievement remarkable is not just the innovation, but the background from which it emerged.
Bhupalapatnam is far removed from the urban innovation hubs usually associated with technology and research. Yet, Mamatha transformed a classroom idea into an award-winning project that eventually earned a national patent.
Speaking to TNIE, Mamatha says the idea came from observing the confusion and delays people faced in public parking spaces. “I noticed that many people waste time searching for parking slots in crowded places. I wanted to create a simple system that could help people know whether a slot is empty or occupied,” she adds.
“I developed this project when I was in Class 7. Now, while studying in Class 9, I have received the patent,” she mentions.
The project was first presented at the district-level INSPIRE Exhibition, where it won first prize and later advanced to the state-level exhibition.
After receiving the patent, Mamatha says she now plans to approach the state government to help take the project forward. She also credited her mentor, District Science Officer Katukam Madhukar, for guiding and encouraging her throughout the process.
High-tech solution
Her innovation offers a simple technology-driven solution to identify vacant and occupied parking slots in crowded public places. Using IR sensors linked to an LCD display, the system shows “slot full” when occupied and “slot empty” when vacant.
The model is designed for schools, hospitals, malls, offices and other busy areas where motorists often waste time searching for parking spaces. After receiving the patent, Mamatha says she now plans to approach the state government to help take the project forward.