PUNE: The jawans of the fire brigade face difficulties while dousing the fire in difficult terrain. However, std 10 students have developed a solution with the help of technology. The students have developed a novel robot Elifire and gave a presentation in the presence of PM Narendra Modi at an exhibition held in New Delhi.
Arnav Vadikar, Raj Jain, Mithilesh Hingmire, Shlok Dalvi, Yash Kapse, Shreesh Pataskar, who are students of Jnana Prabodhini Prashala in Sadashiv Peth, made Elifire robot through mediums like Dhadpad lab, Atal Tinkering Lab and Makers Space. They were guided by teacher Dr Shraddha Kelkar, Pranav Poojary and Prathamesh Vaidya. After doing a study for 18 months, a prototype of the robot was prepared. They spent ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 on the project. The pipe of Elifire can be moved in any direction and hence, if the area which has caught fire is in a difficult area, the fire can be controlled without taking a risk. Elifire robot can be controlled by a remote.
For a competition of using new idea, subjects like aeronautics, bio mimicry and rural development had been given. The concept of the trunk of an elephant was kept in mind while designing the robot to control the fire. In the competition, the prototype of the robot won the first prize in the biomimicry division. Elifire won the first prize in a competition organised by IISER. Elifire’s demonstration was conducted during an exhibition held as part of G-20.
An invitation had been sent to demonstrate Elifire in an exhibition held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on the occasion of the third anniversary of the New Education Policy. The students said that a demonstration of Elifire was held in front of PM Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The students said that considering the fire fighting equipment available at present, Elifire is a novel product. Hence, efforts would be made to apply for a patent. The prototype will be further developed and some more variety of products will be developed, they said.
Dr Milind Naik, Principal of Jnana Prabodhini Prashala, said, “The school encourages students to go beyond the textbooks and make efforts to solve problems encountered in day to day life. Taking part in various projects is the best way. The Elifire project is an example of this.”
