Vishal Bhushan Jha has created a model that uses the volume of a house to create affordable housing in cities. His idea is that of furniture equipped with all the basic requirements, which can accommodate a family of six. Jha’s invention could be a potential solution for cramped living in a space-starved city like Mumbai.
Jayati Bandopadhyay, on the other hand, has developed an application for people suffering from Ankylosis Spondylitis, an inflammatory rheumatic disorder. The application creates an interactive workout routine that helps the victims maintain their posture and retain range of movement.
The projects are part of the Masters of Design course at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbai. The department showcased the students’ projects at its annual exhibition on Sunday.
Some of the projects highlighted social issues and suggested possible solutions. This year’s focus was on the Indian idiom; the projects were set in a local context, said Professor GV Sreekumar, a faculty at IIT and one of the event’s organisers.
Boski Jain’s project is about an issue of cultural importance. She has authored an illustrated book about Santhal Puppetry, a dying art form practised in Jharkhand, West Bengal and other eastern regions.
The book is about a journey by a group of puppets who set off from their village to see the world. The art form is “almost extinct, since the main concern of these people is survival,” says Boski.
The exhibition is on till June 21.
The writer is an intern at The Hindu
