KOCHI: Malayalis’ craving for grated coconut is a stuff of legend. But grating coconuts has turned out to be a daunting task for the ever-busy, on-the-move neo nuclear family, leaving them to depend on packed products that are easily available in the market. But all that is set to change with the invention of a hands-free automatic coconut grater which can do the job in just 60 seconds at just the push of a button.
The invention of Wilson Varghese Mattathil, a Bengaluru-based Malayali engineer, not only adds savour to delicacies but also saves time with safety features and convenience.
“The idea of developing the product came to my mind after my mother, once while grating coconut, asked me, “being an engineer why can’t you invent a convenient machine for grating coconuts as the job is so difficult now.” I never took it seriously at that time, but maybe in my subconscious mind it struck a chord,” says Wilson.
“When I researched, I found that there has been no change in the way coconut is grated, for several decades. The only change being the introduction of a motorised blade. But still, one has to hold the coconut. “I have spent around three years to perfect the technology to build a prototype which can work like a kitchen appliance, and I applied for a patent,” he says.
“We are working on the final product which will hit the market soon. We are now in discussion with several investors and home appliances companies in India and abroad to launch the product,’’ he adds. The demo of the product can be seen on YouTube https://youtu.be/C-PP3zoY8KU or it can be searched in your tube by typing “Hands Free Coconut Grater”.
About theProduct
The automatic coconut grater has a mechanical, electrical and at the same time an electronic logic circuit. The electronic logic circuit makes it grate intelligently and quickly. To grate coconuts of various sizes and shapes, the mechanical parts send feedback to the electronic logic circuits which give intelligent guidance to the mechanical parts to grate accordingly.
A Bengaluru-based ex-Infosys Malayali engineer has developed a hands-free automatic coconut grater which can do the job in just 60 seconds at the push of a button
Mastermind
Wilson, an electronics engineering graduate from Government Engineering College, Thrissur, with an MBA in marketing, has been in the IT sector for around 16 years. He quit his plush job in the IT sector in 2013 to launch a mobile app-based startup. But soon he realised that there was no entry barrier for another company to start a similar e-business and it becomes a funding game. Then he earnestly started thinking of developing a hands-free coconut grater and an automated coconut cutter.