Covid-19: IIT Kanpur develops low-cost disinfector for hospitals and malls

Using six ultraviolet lights, SHUDH disinfects 100 sq ft area in 15 minutes

Amid the fast spread of covid-19 infection, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has developed an ultraviolet (UV) sanitising solution to disinfect hospitals, hotels, malls and other large establishments.

The product, named SHUDH (Smartphone-operated Handy Ultraviolet Disinfection Helper), is designed to disinfect a 100 sq ft room in about 15 minutes.

The prototype comprises six UV lights of 15 watts each that can be monitored from a distance. The on/off, speed, and location functions of the product can be controlled remotely using a special android application of smartphone.

According to the Institute, covid-19 epidemic is being exacerbated by the contaminated objects and rooms. People are afraid of breathing or touching anything around, especially in public places, while liquid sanitising, being carried out widely, has associated chemical perils.

SHUDH has been developed by a team of researchers comprising Prof J Ramkumar, Dr Amandeep Singh and Mr Shivam Sachan at the Imagineering Laboratory, IIT Kanpur. It is aimed at killing coronavirus at highly infection prone places such as hospitals, hotels, malls, offices, schools etc.

“During this pandemic situation, people are skeptical about touching papers, tables, chairs etc in the rooms, hotels, halls, hospitals etc. So we have up with a new innovation. This product can be attached to a mobile vehicle which can be operated using a smartphone. We have also developed a mobile app,” Prof Ramkumar informed.

In fact, the number of UV lights can be increased, while the angle of the lights can also be negotiated depending upon the specific requirement.

“By doing some simple experiments, we have figured out that a 10X10 ft room can be disinfected in 15 minutes. The mobile phone will help you to switch on and off. We have used the Bluetooth facility for the purpose,” he said while exuding confidence that the product can be used to sanitise a large area.

After the pandemic hit Indian shores, the IIT Kanpur has been at the forefront of developing a range of innovative and affordable products to curb the infection or treat covid-19 patients. These include facemasks, ventilators, sanitisation chambers, teaching aids etc. Some of the products were also developed by the IIT Kanpur incubated startups with the help of technical and financial support of its partners.

Recently, IIT Kanpur had developed an innovative virtual classroom solution titled ‘Mobile Masterjee’ in the backdrop of the disruption in normal classroom teaching owing to the lockdown.

The classroom-to-home teaching setup is designed to record the lectures/instructions by the teachers while using smartphones. ‘Mobile Masterjee’ can capture the videos in horizontal (table) and vertical (blackboard) positions.

It was targetted at helping rural schools overcome the teaching and learning challenges posed by the pandemic. It is lightweight and compact, and has adjustments to fit sheets/book on it for delivering instructions to pupils.