In a first for an Indian, Dr Saurabh Kwatra has become the first Indian to participate as a facilitator at the ImpactLabs Summer Workshop at the University of Benin, in Nigeria. Formed in 2013, ImpactLabs at MIT aims at providing engineering solutions for diverse communities.
Dr Kwatra was approached by MIT to share his design innovations with their students, based on his profile and work in the field of engineering and design over the years.
Here are Dr Kwatra’s inventions which caught attention at the MIT ImpactLab:
Nano-LED Guided Screwdriver
Night repair is a tough process, especially while performing it on a broken-down car. Existing lighted screwdrivers spread light using multiple surround LEDs or bulbs; they’re highly power consuming and also very expensive. They are also injurious while handling and storing. Using a single 0.8mm (nano)LED, a hot-melt adhesive stick, a drill bit and four 3.0 Volts micro cells, Dr Kwatra assembled a nano-LED guided screwdriver. It can also open tightened screws and bolts because of its ability to store elastic potential energy (of torsion).
Wind Generator
Dr Kwatra also created a highly convoluted, ultra-light, gearless, Helium balloon-hung, hurricane-collapsible wind generator. The best part about this wind generator is that it is mobile and hung on a helium balloon. This obliterates dependance on any tower on which most windmills operate. “All you need is a steady supply of helium and you may even carry the windmill in the back of your car”, elaborated Dr Kwatra while talking to The Quint.
In this generator, the rotor is made of wood with rare earth magnets at the tips. It is filled with iron filings. The rotor is hung by a balloon. The stator consists of coils stationed on both sides. The stator coils could be affixed to adjacent building walls. In colder countries, the coils may be replaced by copper foil. Eddy currents in copper will heat buildings’ interior directly. In the latter case, we needn’t worry about the kind of electricity, AC/DC, its frequency or voltage. The thermal effect of electricity is universal.
These unique inventions are what earned Dr Kwatra a place as a facilitator at MIT, and he hopes his inventions will inspire other students there.
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