Why is this Significant?
Legally speaking, floods are considered as an ‘Act of God’, something so destructive and all-encompassing that they provide a loophole to otherwise airtight contract requirements. In India there are designated flood prone areas, where people get affected by floods regularly, making them face number of economic and physical challenges and difficulties. Life Rescue Boats used in such critical situations are often rudimentary, and cannot be used to cater to the sick, aged or otherwise disabled people. So can there be an automatic life rescue flood house with multiple functionalities?
In this patent we are going to understand the work of Vishalini NC from Viruthunagar District, Tamil Nadu who recently received Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar Award for her patent titled Automatic Multi Functional Life Rescue Flood House.
As per WIPO’s data this Indian Patent was applied for on 23rd September 2020, Application Number 02041041293. It got published on 9th October 2020 with Publication Number is 20204104129 and its Grant Number is 366431.
How Does It Work?
This invention relates to a device or system which floats in water and is used to keep one or more person from drowning during floods. The device or system automatically pops up in gear.
This system/device includes three regions (first, second and third). Each region has two layers which are separated by an air fill or gap. Those regions includes a two layer air survival casing, and the layers can be equipped with gas generating capability and the surface coated with flood material and metals to manage heavy load.
The first layer is equipped with a flood water level indicator along with an alarm that can be used for monitoring. If the first layer is damaged due to due to floods, after reaching the defined threshold level as prescribed in the patent, the gas generator is activated immediately. Then the second layer gets twitched on. Therefore, users need not worry about missing critical points in time and compromising on their safety.
The third zone of the structure can have a cabin consisting of two areas (upper and lower). The lower area of the cabin comes with seats for the passengers with seatbelts for the body and for the legs to ensure greater safety.
The cabin can also have a centre light, a GPS module, a sensor module for monitoring humidity, temperature, pressure, one or more solar panels for energy harvesting, a rechargeable battery, at least one fan, and an air pressure monitoring system for the first and second layers.
Conclusion
It is to be remembered that this multifunctional rescue flood house can be critical for vulnerable sections of people. During the floods, even healthy, fully-abled people are stressed and not at their best. Pregnant women, senior citizens and physically challenged persons have it considerably worse. These vulnerable sections can potentially use this invention for greater survival and comfort in critical times. The structure, which currently only exists in miniature as a prototype, can also serve as an emergency raft for flood prone areas- having a couple in or near a community center can allow for greater peace of mind in flood-prone areas.
Author: Purushothaman R, Legal Intern at PA Legal.
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