Even if the pandemic was a big struggle and posed huge problems for the other institutions, LPU didn’t let the global pandemic to leave it behind in the race of the ongoing research of the world. Unlike others, it didn’t sit idle and watch while the world was transforming and entering into a new era.
After taking multiple precautions during the commencement of the lockdown for the students still staying there, LPU continued its research to make lives a little easier during this tough period. It all started with a B.Tech student developing KAWACH, an IoT device that can be worn around your neck like a pendant containing special sensors for vibrating when anyone intrudes 1-metre distance and reminds every 30 minutes for washing hands.
When the country saw celebrities and institutions donating money to meet the financial crisis faced by the country, LPU announced the donation of a major amount of 1 million dollars exclusively for the researchers, organizations, students, faculties, and entrepreneurs. This enabled them to continue their work towards the eradication of the pandemic.
LPU has also seen alumni stepping forward to help the students stuck there in the hostels and the nearby areas like Mr. Avinash who provided daily essentials at MRP without any extra charges. The researchers in LPU developed an interactive dustbin called ‘Ally’ for contactless collection and deposition of waste having sensors of its own. The students along with the researchers created a ‘COVID-19 sanitization Pod’ for proper sanitization to prevent the spreading of the virus and checking the temperature of the person. It takes 0.8 seconds to disinfect a person with a cost-effective value below 1 lakh rupees.
A team of LPU, Bharat Suraksha Yantra along with another institute came up with “Bharat Suraksha Yantra Contactless Temperature Measurement Module”, a portable device for detecting the temperature of individuals above 99 degrees Fahrenheit from 5 feet away which can easily be fixed on any doorframe or metal detector. It was recognized for the COVID-19 Samadhan Challenge by MHRD Government. A unique UV racket- a decontaminating device was also built by a student Anant Kumar Rajput for sanitizing surfaces using UV light emitted from a racket with a fixed timer of 60 seconds and a rechargeable battery.
To appreciate the hard work and efforts of the frontline warriors, LPU had come up with a scholarship of INR 20 crores called ‘COVID-19 frontline scholarship’ with a slogan “because THANK YOU is just not enough!”.It was dedicated to the doctors, nurses, police and other medical staff in accord with the categories and for supporting the survivors.
With further development, a cloud-based web interface was made to detect COVID-19 with AI technology using CT-scans or X-rays by B.tech students and professors. It can be used by anyone anywhere due to its simplicity. An algae-based respirator was also developed by the scientists of LPU for making breathing easy while wearing a mask. It is a four-layer respirator named ‘Oxigeno’ filtering out harmful gases which even N95 masks are incapable of and is reusable. Adding to this, students also developed anti-bacterial herbal masks using khus grass having two filters for purifying the surrounding air.
Even that’s not enough as research is still undergoing in the University evolving new devices and schemes for the betterment of people in this vital time and hence proved why it is considered as the best University!
