Indore: A team of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), a state-run university in the cleanest city of the country, has been granted patent for inventing "A Smart Dustbin" meant for Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart City Project. The team comprised a teacher-Kirti Panwar Bhati and two of her students Prachi Goutam and AnkitaModi.Their invention has been published by Patent and Design Journal of Patent.The fact that Indore being the Cleanest city of India for four years in a row, has given motivation to Bhati to come up with a product which uses technology for contributing to this field.
"In particular, the purpose of the patented smart dustbin is to cater the need of the differently-abled citizens to maintain hygiene around them. It also enables them to dispose of their own waste without the need of attendants. This product became more relevant because of Covid -19 pandemic where exposure to the infected person can be harmful for attendants and sanitary workers," Bhati said, a faculty in School of Electronics. Sharing the technical details of the smart dustbins, Bhati said, the smart dustbin comprises a bucket having an automatic lid which is secured with a platform and supported on a driving assembly provided to move the dustbin to users' desired location.
Controlling means are provided to receive the user's input data with help of a virtual LCD and control the movement of the dustbin to the desired location. A sensor is provided with the automatic lid to detect the user and send a command to a servo motor to open the automatic lid and also to close the lid automatically after use by the user. Another sensor is provided with the bucket such that to sense a level of the waste present inside the bucket and display it on the virtual LCD.
A chargeable battery attached to provide the power supply needed to operate the dustbin. National Research Development Corporation(NRDC) and School of Electronics provided the financial support to the invention.
DAVV secures record five patents in a year
DAVV, which was established in 1964, had secured total five patents till 2020. In 2021, it brought five more patents which is a record in itself. No university in the state achieved such a feat so far. Earlier this year, research scholars working with School of Electronics head Prof Abhay Kumar were granted two patents in the broad domains of wireless communication and Modal biometrics. Institute of Engineering and Technology faculty member Prof Vrindra Tokekar along with Divya Gautam had secured patent last month. Besides, Satyam Samrat Acharya, reasearch scholar in Gandhi Shodh Peeth got patent in calligraphy. The 57-year-old university had got its first patent for Dr DS Bhilare's cell phone communication security module about a decade ago. After him, Prof Shashi Prakash, Dr Govind Maheshwari, Prof VrindaTokekar along with Vivek Kapoor and Dr Ashish Jain along with Dr CP Thakur were granted patents.
