KOZHIKODE: Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK)-based incubated startup has come up with a unique user-friendly wearable device that alarms proximity which helps in implementing social distancing norms.
Known as the 'Veli Band', the wrist band has been developed by Qual5 India Pvt Ltd, a startup co-founded by a woman entrepreneur and mentored and funded by IIMK's business LIVE, incubator, and entrepreneurship development centre.
Veli Band helps in implementing social distancing and contact tracing which will help organizations in complying with social distancing norms during the pandemic. It momentarily vibrates, sounds buzzer, and flashes LED lights simultaneously to notify wearers that another band is within 3 feet, reminding them of the need to maintain social distance.
The device, can also anonymously track interactions with other devices and help in maintaining a safer workplace and aid in tracking employee movements in real-time. It is Omni-directional, comes with a rechargeable battery and uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for detection.
Professor Keyoor Purani, executive director, Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship (LIVE) at IIMK shared that "Qual5, a woman-founded enterprise, has adapted its expertise of tracking warehouse inventories into a quick, marketable solution in the form of Veli band."
"The startup had recently bagged Rs 25 lakh funding under the MRPL IIMK LIVE Seed support assistance program," he added. Kiranmayee Mallepaddi and Srinivasan Arumugam, co-founders at Qual5, said Veli Band was better than other similar mobile apps as not all employees possess smartphones at workplaces.
"The band provides information about employees who have violated social distancing norms. This information can help in contact tracing. The data can also be used to monitor crowded areas to take necessary precautions," Kiranmayee added.