“The innovator who could find a solution to this problem
will get a reward of one million rupees. This would be a great relief for
hundreds of thousands of workers toiling under the sun, especially in the Gulf
region,” said T. Balakrishnan, the Additional Chief Secretary.
The state’s industrial authorities are excited about the
number of entries it received for a similar contest for developing affordable
and user-friendly “coconut felling machine” which prompted them to think of the
“cool jacket.”
The authorities are finalizing a list of innovative products
for contest that would increase productivity and promote entrepreneurial
skills. They plan to market such innovations globally.
“The cool jacket would be boon for the expatriate workers in
the construction sector of the oil-rich countries in the Gulf. The jackets
should be able to keep the body heat lower than the temperature in the area,”
said Balakrishnan. “This would not only increase their productivity but help
them maintain health.”
The jacket should be user-friendly like a sweater but should
serve the reverse purpose. It should help reduce the body heat at least by 10
degree Celsius and should be able to maintain that level at least for eight
hours. The face cover should be transparent.
The other conditions include that it should cover the entire
body except face, should be easy to carry and user-friendly. Materials like dry
ice and special fabrics can be used for the production of the jacket. The
sources of energy for cooling can be solar power, rechargeable batteries or
materials that cab refrigerated and used later.
Ten entrepreneurs will be short-listed in the first phase
and provide them with financial assistance to establish manufacturing units. In
the second phase they would be asked to conduct demonstration of their products
before an expert panel.
The first three entries will get a reward of one million
rupee each to start the commercial production of their invention. Besides the
ten finalists, those who did not avail of the financial assistance can also
participate in the contest.
Those interested can get in touch with the Directorate of
Industries and Commerce at 0471-2305493.
The demonstration of working models of coconut felling
devises will be held in the presence of the public at the College of
Agriculture here on Oct. 7-8. If proved successful, it would provide a relief
to the coconut farmers who are facing acute shortage of coconut tree climbers
whose job is risky and unglamorous.
The machine is to be light and simple, controlled from the
ground, easy to operate and can even be carried by women. It should also be
suitable for household purpose and for large plantations.
Design, concept and working principles were the focus of the
first stage, which saw 462 proposals from across the country and abroad. The
panel comprising a senior scientist from the Indian Space Research
Organization, an agriculture engineer, mechanical engineer, a scientist from
the Science & Technology department and a farmer as members and joint
director of industries and commerce department as convener for evaluating the
proposals.
The committee short listed 109 applicants and selected eight
persons for prize money of Rs100,000 each for manufacturing the product. The
second stage is the demonstration of the fabricated machines. The expert
committee will evaluate the working models and select the best three models for
a prize money of one million rupees each for commercial production.
