A class 12 student from a city-based international school has won accolades for her projects on modified carts that aim to make life easier for street vendors as well as for people living in hilly terrains.
Vidya Ramesh, who studies at the Greenwood High International School won the IGNITE competition organised by the National Innovation Foundation, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for her projects entitled “Modified cart with steering mechanism and brakes” and “Hilly terrain cart”.
Vidya’s compassionate idea was aimed at making life easier for street vendors using hand carts as well as to help people living in hilly areas . The idea of the projects was to incorporate easy steering mechanism and brakes to make turning hand carts easy and arrest slide on inclines, thus palliating the troubles of mountain dwellers in transporting goods.
IGNITE is an annual competition where students are invited to send their original ideas. A press release issued by Greenwood High said that the award was given by former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at an event held at IIM- Ahmedabad recently.
Explaining her project, Vidya said, “I have often noticed pushcart vendors on roads struggling to turn their carts, push them uphill or keep hold of them on downhill slopes. I realized that the steering, gear and brake mechanisms found in bicycles, if incorporated in such carts, would help them cope better.”
