A smart way to harvest rainwater

NIT-AP students use Deep Tech to develop software that offers cost-effective solution

June 16, 2021 10:42 pm | Updated 10:42 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA

Students of the National Institute of Technology Andhra Pradesh (NIT-AP) have developed a ‘WiFi- mounted micro-controller’ that can integrate sensors for smart harvesting of rainwater.

This system can automate the process of storing water, reducing water-borne diseases, improving storage efficiency.

To address water shortage in Indian cities by deploying Deep Tech such as IoT (Internet of Things) and Machine Learning, the students from Team LinkLer have developed an end-to-end software stack that provides an easy interface to manage and control in-house water resources.

What it does

The system monitors waste water and supply systems such as rainfall recorded, water remaining in the storage tank, water quality index and water supply in a given area.

The students have also designed an underground storage tank with a material capable of holding water on a long-term basis, and its treatment process being monitored on a feedback IoT system.

Team LinkLer has won ‘India Innovation Challenge Design Contest 2019’ (IICDC), organised by the U.S.-based Texas Instruments and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

The team is currently being mentored at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore’s (IIM-B) ‘NSRCEL Technical Program’ to drive the product to the market.

This programme extends support for incubation, design and product launch. NSRCEL is the start-up incubator of the IIM-B, recognised by the Centre.

Cutting-edge tech

“The future holds the stage for ‘Deep Tech-based solutions for sustainable ecosystem. The institute, being the youngest NIT, is equipped with cutting-edge technology, and the team stands as an example for effective utilisation of the institute resources,” said C.S.P. Rao, Director, NIT-AP.

Elaborating on how the project could benefit the country, Phani Krishna Karri, Team LinkLer’s faculty mentor and assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT-AP, said, “The system is an end-to-end technological solution for raising water mismanagement in cities. It is a robust, efficient and cost-effective solution, which is customisable, based on the demand of a household, or an entity. The students are in the process of commercialising the product after approval of the patent.”

Team leader Shrish Shukla said the focus, at the moment, was on the technical detailing for improving its efficiency during scaling and adaptation to different use cases.

Besides Mr. Phani Krishna and Mr. Shukla, other team members include Manish Roy, Shubham Kumar, Pranav Dadhich, Aarti Sartape, Ritvika Sonawane and Ravi Jain.

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