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Silchar boy engineers an automatic contactless-sanitizer dispenser; "It's 100% made in India," Nirupam Choudhury 

“I don’t think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention, in my opinion, arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness – to save oneself trouble,” is what British writer Agatha Christie has once said.

To save oneself the trouble of getting contaminated by the novel coronavirus, one needs to practice social distancing and at the same time, ensure they are not touching objects that could possibly contain the infection. Another very important safety measure is sanitization. Electronics Engineer, a Meherpur resident, Nirupam Choudhury has engineered a device to make sanitization in schools, colleges, warehouses, hospitals safer.

Using a motion sensor, he has structured an automatic touchless-sanitizer dispensing machine that can be used in all indoor establishments. “I did a search on e-commerce platforms and found out that the touchless dispensers are very expensive, they start from Rs 3500-Rs 4000 making them unaffordable for many. That is when I thought, can I make one which is available at half the price?” says Nirupam.

Using components like motion sensors, the electronics and information technology engineer from the West Bengal University of Technology has devised the dispenser at his own residence. It is now available for purchase for Rs 1600 and an additional Rs 200 is charged for 2A Mobile adapter which is optional.

“Another thing that separates the dispenser from the ones available online is that there is a timer installed in it. Sanitizers come at a cost and therefore, we have set a one second time. So, each time you place your hand under the dispenser and the motion sensor detects it, it will dispense sanitizer for one second and then automatically block the output for that particular cycle,” informs Choudhury. He feels the timer will reduce wastage by a significant margin.

As a goodwill gesture, he has donated one automatic-touchless-dispenser to Ramakrishna Mission in Silchar and another one to Nari Shikkha Ashram. Because of the lockdowns imposed in Guwahati and several other states, Nirupam is finding it difficult to import components in bulk, but for now, he says he has enough stock to supply small and mid-size orders. He stated that the dispenser uses a motion sensor that needs the light to be at a certain level and that is why it can only be used indoors.

Nirupam Choudhury is the son of Nikhil Ranjan Choudhury, a guest faculty at Assam University Silchar and a former Principal of Silchar Polytechnic. He said, “Nirupam is working on this project alone, and whenever he needs feedback on anything he reaches out to me.”

Nirupam wants to sophisticate the product further to make it less bulky but at the same time, his focus is to ensure that the look and feel are not adding to the cost. “I want this product to remain affordable so that one can use it in every nook and corner. Additionally, we will also provide free servicing for a year,” he added.

At a time when the Prime Minister urged the country to be ‘Atma Nirbhar’ – self-dependent, instead of importing stuff from foreign countries, it is great that a Silchar boy has forged to invent something himself which he says is “100 per cent made in India”. However, it remains to be seen if he manages to market the product and scale it up to ensure he is creating jobs and a sustainable revenue model.

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