S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT-M incubated startup, Antariksh Waste Ventures developed a smart bin system to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through waste generated at contagion vulnerable points like hospitals, clinics, public bins, quarantine zones.
The smart bin brought out by IIT-M incubated startup company is called ‘AirBin’ and it enables remote monitoring of waste accumulation levels and clearances through IoT systems. This smart bin system can be retrofitted on to existing garbage bins on nearby poles, walls or the bin lids.
IIT-M incubated startup
Objective behind this effort by the IIT-M incubated startup company is help rural and urban local bodies clear every bin before it overflows and accelerate sustainability.
This innovative product is on track to hit the market in around five months. IIT-M incubated startup company Antariksh aims to supply first 200 AirBin devices across India in next few months with long-term plans to deliver 100,000 units for 100 smart cities in India.
Highlighting the requirement for smart technologies in waste disposal Mr. Mahek Mahendra Shah, Founder of IIT-M incubated startup company Antariksh Waste Ventures Pvt Ltd said waste management processes will play a key role in containing contagion at public or private spaces.
From waste collection, transport, segregation, disposal to recycling, every process needs to be overhauled quickly and technology will play a vital role in this transformation.
Timely cleaning of bins will be a key priority while faced with shortage of labor, he said. Remote waste levels monitoring, smarter pickups, skill development with good protection gear for sanitation teams, educating citizens on best sanitation practices, will be some of the key elements driving this industry forward, in the coming months, he said.
This Digital Waste Management System can generate alerts to sanitation teams at regular intervals on fill levels and on-demand clearance requests from end-users, for faster disposal of contagious waste.
IIT-M incubated startup company is supported by IIT Madras Incubation Cell. In the case of COVID-19, hazardous waste is being generated in hospitals, quarantine zones or red zone areas within cities.
They are potential sources of COVID-19 and can cause further spread within the locality. This makes timely clean-up of bins vital along with other best practices for disinfection to prevent further spread of the COVID-19.
Various sources point out that only 28 per cent of the waste generated in India is recycled and various studies found that the waste generated in the country is doubling every five years.
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IIT-M incubated startup Antariksh Waste Ventures aims to clear waste bins before they overflow by digitizing waste management processes. Using the smart bin of IIT-M incubated startup will make it easier to remotely monitor waste levels in bins, get timely alerts when bins are getting filled up.
It also makes it easier to plan and improve waste management process for speedier collection, transportation and disposal. Getting automated cumulative reports of waste clearances and estimated waste generation in various categories becomes easier.
Antariksh Waste Ventures Pvt Ltd was one of 10 start-ups that qualified for the finals of ‘Qualcomm Design in India Challenge 2019’ and is on ‘The Economic Times – 50 startups to Watch out for in 2020’ list.
About – IIT Madras
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an institute of national importance.
The activities of the Institute in various fields of Technology and Science are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary Research Academic Centres.
The Institute offers undergraduate and post – graduate programmes leading to the B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations.
IITM is a residential institute with more than 580 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here.
IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell. IITM has been ranked No.1 in the Overall Institutions category in India Rankings 2019 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.
The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the Engineering Institutions category in the same Rankings for four consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2019 launched by Innovation Cell of MHRD.