Page 13 - CIJ Nov 2023 Digital Edition

News Track

Youth Innovations Win Agro-Waste Homes

National Contest Combat Pollution

amsung India recognises innovative solution uses natural esearchers at the Indian
the young innovators language processing to provide Institute of Technology
of Solve for Tomorrow mentorship, encouragement, (IIT) Delhi have
S2023. Teams from and personalised guidance to Rdeveloped a sustainable
solution to the persistent problem
Surat, Nagpur, and Golaghat women pursuing careers in of stubble burning, which has
emerged victorious with their science and technology. contributed to severe air pollution
groundbreaking inventions: a and health issues in India. The
beach-cleaning robot, an AI tool From Golaghat, the team project, titled ‘Sustainable
to empower women in STEM, behind ‘Kavach’ presented a and Affordable Homes using
and a low-cost personal cooling wearable device that offers relief Agro-Residues: A Step Towards
device. from extreme temperatures. Green Future’, led by PhD
This personal cooling neckband
The competition’s Grand uses semiconductor technology research scholar Kusum Saini
and Dr. Vasant Matsagar, Dogra
Finale on October 11, 2023 in to regulate body temperature, Chair and Professor from the
New Delhi was the culmination providing comfort to those who Department of Civil Engineering,
of a journey that began with endure the elements in their has turned agricultural waste
thousands of applications. After daily work. into an opportunity for creating
an intensive selection process, affordable and robust housing
extensive mentoring, and a Each of the top ten teams units.
bootcamp at IIT Delhi, the top received a Samsung Galaxy The innovative approach
three teams were awarded a Z Flip5 smartphone and INR utilises solid waste, specifically
combined prize of INR 1.5 crore 100,000, recognizing their agro residues from wheat and
to bring their visionary concepts contributions to technological rice, to construct homes that
to life. innovation. are not only environmentally
NIT Surat’s team introduced Samsung’s CSR initiative, friendly but also resilient to
‘Sweep,’ an automated robot Solve for Tomorrow, extreme conditions such as
earthquakes and harsh weather.
designed to tackle the pressing encourages young minds to These engineered composites
issue of beach pollution. apply their creativity to real- are the brainchild of BIOCOM
Sweep’s advanced sensors allow world problems. This year’s Structures, a startup company
it to identify, segregate, and themes spanned Education & mentored by Dr. Matsagar. The
collect waste autonomously. Learning, Health & Wellness, homes are designed to be modular
Team Stemly, hailing Environment & Sustainability, and quick to assemble, making
them ideal for use in remote
from Nagpur, addressed the and Diversity & Inclusion, areas, healthcare facilities, or
gender gap in STEM with a drawing participation from over as rehabilitation structures in
conversational AI tool. This 6,500 teams nationwide. disaster-affected regions.
The biodegradable nature
of these construction units
addresses the issue of
construction waste disposal and
reduces the carbon footprint
of building materials, aligning
with climate change mitigation
efforts. The next phase of this
initiative aims to apply the
technology to build all-weather
rural roads using local agro
residues, which could lead to
sustainable development, job
creation, and economic growth
by transforming agro-waste into
JB Park, President & CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, lauded the winners: valuable commodities.
“Youth has the power to think out of the box. We’re proud to nurture this through Solve for Tomorrow
and excited to see these innovations transform lives.”

Clean India Journal•NOVEMBER 2023 13
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