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New Delhi: A process
to recover nutrients from human urine and an antibacterial shirt
to keep the body fresh in sweltering heat are some of the
innovative solutions offered to the industry by students of the
Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) for the benefit of
common people.
These are part of around 500 research-based projects showcased at
the annual exhibition of the premier institution.
Students of the Centre for Rural Development and Technology have
devised a technology that can retrieve nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium from human urine.
"Human urine contains 70 percent nitrogen, 50 percent potassium
and 50 percent phosphorus and if retrieved it has potential to
replace any kind of chemical fertilizer and will be
environment-friendly," Vijayaraghavan M. Chariar, associate
professor at IIT-D, told IANS.
Chariar has been working on the project with a team of seven
students.
"We have developed reactors which have the capacity to trap
nutrients from urine. These reactors can be fitted to the toilets
for retrieval," said Chariar.
The team has also developed waterless urinals fitted with odour
traps and biological blocks to minimize the use of water and make
urine odourless.
The technology is already in use at some toilets in IIT-D and the
industry has also acquired the technology for replicating it in
public loos.
Students from the textile technology department have developed
fresh and cool smart technology for garments.
"We have developed silver nanoparticles which when applied to
fabric during its manufacturing makes it antimicrobial and keeps
it fresh and cool in sweltering heat," Manjeet Jassal, professor,
research group on smart and innovative textile materials, told
IANS.
Jassal said the technology has been successfully transferred to
RESIL Chemicals, Bangalore, which is Asia's largest specialty
textile chemical company.
The product has already been used by brands like Marks & Spencer,
Louis Philippe, Raymonds and Amante.
But that is not all.
The other innovative products include a biosensor chip to detect
pesticides, heavy metals, aflatoxin and bacterial contamination in
milk; multi-functional wheelchairs and protecting household items
from earthquakes.
"We have devised a multifunctional wheelchair which, apart from
serving the purpose of navigation, also aids the physically
handicapped to use western toilets themselves, reach objects at
some height," said Ansal E, a student from the Department of
Applied Mechanics.
According to IIT, some of the projects have caught the attention
of industry, with many companies seeking to develop these ideas on
a larger scale and take them to the people.
"In the last few years, our strategy has been to invest more in
research and development. The innovative solutions offered by
students are part of this approach and we have got a very good
response from industry," Suneet Tuli, Dean, Industrial Research
and Development, told IANS.
Tuli said industry has approached the institute for technology
transfer of several products to produce the products on a large
scale.
(Richa Sharma can be contacted at richa.s@ians.in)
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