AsianScientist (Aug. 15, 2011) – The Grand Finale of the Samsung Innovation Quotient saw three winners emerge from five shortlisted finalists, who presented their innovations before a high-powered jury in New Delhi on Thursday, August 11.
The panel of jurors consisted of Raman Roy, Chairman & Managing Director, Quattro BPO Solutions; Sasha Mirchandani, Managing Partner, Kae Capital; Alok Kejriwal, CEO, Games2Win; Senthil Chengalvarayan, President & Editorial Director, TV18 Business Media; and JS Shin, President, Samsung Electronics, India.
K. Chandrasekhar came in first for his invention of 3netra (pre-screening of eye diseases). The first runner-up was Vijay Bhaskar Reddy for Kisan Raja (mobile control of agricultural motors), and the second runner-up was C. Mallesham for the Laxmi Asu Machine.
All three winners were given certificates and cash prizes. The winner took home a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh (US$11,000) and the first and second runner-ups were given Rs 3 lakh (US$6,600) and Rs 2 lakh (US$4,400), respectively.
The nationwide hunt, launched by CNBC-TV18 & Samsung, received over 300 entries from inventors from all parts of India, who developed novel approaches and improvised on existing processes to spearhead rural change and benefit the society at large.
The five shortlisted finalists were:
1. K. Chandrasekhar & Dr. Shyam Vasudeva Rao (Bangalore) – 3nethra
3nethra is a portable, non-invasive, non-mydriatic, low-cost device that helps in pre-screening of five eye major diseases, including cataract, diabetic retina, and glaucoma. An in-built auto detection software generates a pre-screening report within five minutes. The device may be operated in a rural environment by a minimally trained technician.
2. Vijaya Pastala (Mumbai) – Under The Mango Tree
Under The Mango Tree adds bee-boxes to farms in India and offers extensive, year-long training in beekeeping for these farmers.The organization hopes to increase agricultural yields and farming incomes by approximately 40 percent across India.
3. C. Mallesham (Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh) – Laxmi Asu Machine
The Laxmi Asu Machine was designed by 37-year-old traditional weaver Mallesham, to mechanize the process of hand winding of yarn before pattern-weaving on the Tie & Dye Pochampalli silk saree. The hand winding process is a very tedious and cumbersome process and involves thousands of repetitive hand motions within a span of 4-5 hours.
4. Himanshu Sheth (Jamshedpur) – Coir Atlas
Coir Atlas is an eco-friendly and biodegradable substitute of wooden logs, made out of jute and bamboo, used by the steel industry for shipment of flat products. Besides the high consumption of wood, wooden logs do not provide a good frictional hold to the load that is moving at a high speed, which leads to accidents and property worth billions of dollars. Lab tests and field trials taken by JSW Steel Ltd, Tata Steel, Steel Authority of India, and Essar Steel have proved that Coir Atlas provides much better grip to the load during shipment.
5. Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Dinnepu (Bangalore) – Kisan Raja solution
Kisan Raja solution allows the farmers to remotely control agricultural motors using a mobile phone or landline. An IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) in local languages helps in making selections for switching the motors on or off. Farmers also receive voice alerts for faulty power supplies, motors that do not start, a lack of water in the well/bore, and attempts at device/motor theft.
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Source: Samsung Innovation Quotient.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
