I have always been strong in practical areas, and with LEAD, I have been encouraged to use the technical skills I have learned studying for a BE in electronics and communication engineering for the good of my community.

The first problem I noticed was that the lights were always turned on in banks at night. To ensure lights were on and and everything was safe, even in rooms you could not see, a simple device was the solution to detect whether the lights were turned on or off and improve bank security.

Installing the IC 4051 detector in my college lab

My next device was the IC 4051 detector, which when installed, checks whether the IC is working or not. This device has now been implemented in my college lab.

During exams, I noticed that many students were using mobile phones despite not being allowed and it being distracting. By detecting an active mobile cellphone from up to 1.5 metres away, this device sounds and lights up when it detects any phone, SMS, or video transmission, even if the phone is set to silent. While I developed it primarily for use in colleges, it is also useful for detecting mobile phone use for unauthorized purposes such as video recording or spying.

Mosquito Repeller

My hostel had a mosquito problem, and knowing that a mosquito coil had negative health effects, I knew I need to develop something better. Mosquitoes carry harmful diseases and are incredibly irritating, so I created the electronic mosquito repellent, a device that drives away mosquitoes using ultrasonic frequencies. Ultrasonic frequencies are not audible to humans, but the sound is very annoying to insects. This simple circuit device that emits ultrasonic frequencies repels insects in the surrounding area, while going unnoticed by humans.

Explaining how my water tank level detector works

In order to prevent overflow in water tanks, I developed a simple water level alarm circuit. When the water level reaches the level of the sensing probes, a circuit is activated which triggers a beeper. Inspired by this project, I also developed a water pump controller to automatically turn water pumps on and off.

I noticed the mess in my hostel used a simple LED torch, and after asking the owner how much each torch costs, I knew I could make them for much cheaper. With only three LED lights, one battery, one diode and one resistor, I could make a similar torch and implemented five torches at this lesser cost.

Since I started looking for problems in my community that could be solved with a practical, technical solution, I have developed seven technical devices and gone on to win the "Best Technical Initiatives" award from LEAD. I have been very inspired by the quote, "A boss says "go!", but a leader says "let's go!" and try to apply this in my LEAD projects as well as my everyday life.

While dealing with small technical and electronic devices can be challenging at times and requires great care, the results are worth it and a small, simple device can make a big difference. I eventually hope to create technical and electronic solutions that can help the poor people in my community, but also address the problems involved in poverty at large.