HYDERABAD: In the heartbeats of tragedy, innovation often finds its rhythm.” Enter the world of SK Rajalipasha, a 36-year-old teacher from Khammam who has a hearing impairment. Unlike the others, he understands the harrowing challenges faced by his community while navigating their route on a two-wheeler amidst the bustling streets.
Inspired by true events after he lost one of his close friends in a road accident, who had hearing impairments, Rajalipasha on a quest to find a plausible solution to this everyday difficulty faced by the deaf, came up with the idea of a safety helmet.
A hearing aid, which normally helps in amplifying sounds for the deaf, is not of much help on the road. “It will detect the engine noise but not the honking of the vehicles behind,” he told TNIE.
Crafted exclusively for the deaf, Rajalipasha’s brainchild took shape over two years. This helmet stands unique from all the other helmets as it illuminates the front every time a vehicle honks from behind. “This light signals caution, empowering the hearing-impaired to be wary of vehicles approaching from behind,” he passionately explained.
Rajalipasha is one of the five innovators scouted by the Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) to represent the state at the People’s Festival of Innovations (PFI) in New Delhi this week. The PFI which will be held between November 28 and December 2, is a platform for innovators to showcase their ideas that would help create an impact in society. Apart from the safety alert helmet, the TSIC has selected four other innovations for the programme.
TechRedi - A techno boon to street vendors
Second to feature on the list is a team of four 20-year-olds- Tejaswi Velugapally, K Pragnya Sree, B Sai Mrudula and G Sunidhi, all graduates of biotechnology, who developed TechRedi - a product that aims to solve the storage and mobility problem of street vendors.
Pointing out that pollution and weather conditions lead to street vendors selling withered vegetables, Tejaswi said, “As we see the traditional vendors’ cart can store vegetables only for a day or two, we innovators have designed a model that can keep vegetables fresh for four days.” This model will not only help vendors avoid losses, it will also benefit customers to get fresh and healthy vegetables. This model will also help vendors travel longer distances through an e-vehicle model.
Invention of machine to enhance dirp irrigation
An automated mechanical timer device that will enhance drip irrigation is the third innovation selected to represent Telangana at the PFI. Designed by Gopal Singh Thakur (70), a farmer, and his 33-year-old son Rajesh, the device aims to reduce human errors in watering crops.
Rajesh recollected how a few years back, the workers on their farmland forgot to turn on the valve on one part of the field. “After three days, one side of the field was overwatered and the other was dry. The overwatered crops were prone to diseases and the overall volume of the crop was very low,” he said. Describing this as a common setback faced by several farmers, he said their innovation will also help in saving lakhs of litres of water per day that would otherwise get wasted due to erroneous overwatering.
TSIC is also presenting Raju Mupparpu and Alladi Prabhakar who have innovated a power-saving street light control device and a multi-functional health bed that aims to enhance the blind’s safety.
TO SHOWCASE THEIR IDEAS IN PEOPLE’S FESTIVAL OF INNOVATIONS
Rajalipasha innovation, along with four other inventions by young innovators, are scouted by the TSIC to represent the state at the People’s Festival of Innovations in New Delhi this week. All these innovations would help create an impact in society