If there had to be a theme for this year’s INSPIRE Award Science Exhibition that started here on Monday, it seemed to be the use of sensors for preserving the environment or saving lives.
From unmanned railways crossings that close automatically when a train approaches, or sensors that detect rise in water-levels in rivers or seas (for tsunamis or floods) or detect gas leaks, soil moisture, and even save electricity by switching on streetlights automatically during night or when a pedestrian walks by — the sensor seemed to be a dominant feature in the displays by Class VIII and Class IX students from government and aided schools.
Four-day eventThe four-day event at the Mahatma Gandhi Centenary High School, Bondel, will feature 640 science models conceived and developed by students from the region.
While, Monday and Tuesday saw displays by students in Mangalore North, South and Puttur educational blocks; Wednesday and Thursday will see students from Bantwal, Belthangady, Moodbidri and Sullia blocks showcasing their ideas. Each project was allotted Rs. 5,000; and the best of the models will be eligible for the State-level fair to be held later.“The exhibition is a spill over from the previous INSPIRE awards when 1,400 students participated. Those who could not present their models in the 2012 and 2013 editions were invited this year,” said Dayavati, Assistant Nodal Officer for the exhibition.
Navyashree Poojary, a Class IX student from the government school at Menadi near Talapady, showcased her “homemade” air-conditioner that is inexpensive and consumes less power. The device is fashioned out of a bucket with holes made for intake and exhaust, and with a small fan on top, and a bag of ice in the bottom. “This is enough for a small room,” she said.
Adapting his grandmother’s “traditional knowledge”, Dayanand A., from government school Shantinagar near Puttur, displayed oil extraction from a coconut shell that usually goes to waste. “The shell is made into chips and heated externally in a clay pot. While the collected oil can be used for lighting or in Ayurveda therapies, the burnt shell is good enough for filtering water,” said the Class IX student.
Similarly, Nahush M. Hedge from Kinnigoli showcased a method of generating electricity from a mixture of banana waste and cow dung; while Kavyashree from St. Joseph School, Vamanjoor, explained a simple process to purify harmful carbon dioxide from smoke by using limestone.
District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, who inaugurated the exhibition, said that it would serve as an encouragement to students to showcase and honour innovation.
