IIT-K Student Develops Battery-Operated Scooter

Kanpur: Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) student, Sathish Shekhar, has developed a battery-operated three-wheeled scooter named “Drift-The Campus Vehicle”. Shekhar, a second-year student in the Master of Design Programme at IIT-K, has been working on the model past eight months. He developed the model under the guidance of professors J Ram Kumar and Satyaki Roy.

The main idea behind developing the battery-operated scooter was not only to help the students who have to move around in large campuses, but also women, psychically-disabled persons and security guards. As per sources, after getting the patent for the product from the Department of Policy and Promotion under the Commerce and Industry Ministry, the scooter model was displayed before the media on Monday. The newly developed eco-friendly one-seater scooter after a six-hour electric charge can cover a distance of 50 km at a maximum speed of 50kmph. It is simple to operate; the scooter does not have any gear and is equipped with an ignition start system.

Shekhar has told the sources that in the huge IIT-K campus, it is tiresome for the students to move around. He said that they either walk or ride a bicycle. It motivated him to work on this product. He said the exterior part of the scooter is made of Fibre-Reinforced Plastic which helps it become sturdy but light in weight. He also added that it is easy to park and ride in narrow lanes. In addition, Shekhar informed that it operates on four batteries, each one of 12 volt. Behind the rider seat, the scooter has a utility box. He said that as it can carry a weight up to 250 kg, the students can carry lab material and women can carry household products.

Shekhar hoped he would be able to use the same technology in private and public transport vehicles. He also added that as of now, he has not thought about launching this scooter in the market. He said that he is waiting for response from IIT-K staff and students. Moreover, Shekhar claimed that if launched in the market, the scooter will cost around Rs. 30,000 to the buyer. Sanjay Govind Dhande, IIT-K Director, has said getting a patent for the product is a major achievement. He further said it was heartening to see IIT-K students coming up with innovations which can prove useful for the society and reduce the pollution level.