Electronic Startups to Come up with Smarter Solutions for Waste Management and Vehicle Parking

KOCHI:
The daunting problems of waste management and vehicle parking in Kochi, the commercial nerve centre of Kerala, may finally be addressed with the electronic startups in the state all set to take up the challenge and provide smart solutions.
‘Smart Waste Sensing’ and ‘Two wheeler parking slot status detection’ were among the set of five problem statements given to aspiring entrepreneurs at the ‘Bosch DNA Grand Challenge’ held at KINFRA High Tech Park in Kalamassery here today (Thursday).
Kochi-based Maker Village, one of India’s largest incubators, teamed up with Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, to host the event for electronics startup companies.
M S Rajasree, Director, IIITM-K and R K Shenoy, Senior Vice President, Bosch jointly inaugurated the event which intended to encourage innovations in electronic product design and development. Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirullah also spoke during the event.
“According to TRAI report, 38 per cent of Keralites have subscribed internet and 60 per cent citizens have access to internet. This shows Kerala’s digital connectivity. Kerala pioneered the startup culture and state government has been very encouraging for budding entrepreneurs,” said district collector.
Shenoy explained the concept of challenge to the budding engineers.
“Bosch DNA Grand Challenge aims to lift the youngsters from concept stage to executing stage. We will engage, explore and then help you to expand by helping you launch the product in the market,” Shenoy said, exhorting the youngsters to go for innovations.
‘Online sound/ vibration signal processing tool’, ‘Sensor fusion platform for vehicle/ passenger safety’ and ‘load measurement of excavators’ were the other problem statements given to the students.
“The solution to the problem statement should broadly fall into the categories of smart city solutions, Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, robotics and embedded electronic products,” Prof S Rajeev, chief consultant, Maker Village.
The event, which had brainstorming sessions on ‘Startup Ecosystem in Kerala’ and ‘The concept of Electronics startups as a key initiative in Kerala’, saw a packed auditorium with a substantial presence of engineering students.
The best solutions will be selected and offered pre-incubation for three months at Maker Village to develop a prototype. Bosch will sponsor the pre-incubation. The teams can also choose to work from their own premises or make use of the facilities offered.
“Bosch will offer prototype support of up to Rs. 50,000 per team. Bosch and Maker Village will support with maker space and mentorship,” said Rohan Kalani, Operations Director, Maker Village.
Students can register at https://goo.gl/forms/xhI55h7UC9zWTWDI2 for participation in the challenge till November 30.
Teams which are able to successfully demonstrate the prototype will be declared winners. Each winning team will be offered a cash prize of Rs. one lakh and incubation at Maker Village for 12 months.
Maker Village, focusing on electronic products, is a state of the art public-private partnership (PPP) model incubator in partnership with the Government of India, Government of
Kerala, KSUM, IIITM-K, and Startup Village, as well as Bosch.
The Bosch Group, a global giant and innovator active in 150 countries, is a leading supplier of technology and services in the areas of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.