AIOU students develop public safety devices

University plans collaboration with industrial sector to introduce inventions

ISLAMABAD: Public safety devices developed by the students of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) are a living proof of the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention”.

Some of these devices were put on display at an exhibition held at the university’s main campus on Tuesday.

The exhibition was inaugurated by AIOU Vice-Chancellor Dr Shahid Siddiqui.

The devices provide safety network against theft, robbery, accident, gas leakage and sudden break out of fire, said an official.

The projects displayed at the exhibition include micro-controlled based systems to detect toxic gas, vehicle accident, security tracking, overheating, digital fuel gauge, ambulance tracking and monitoring patients’ health system, heart rate, temperature, weather, streetlight glow on detecting vehicles and caller ID.

A simple device developed by the students gives an alert call to a house owner on his cell phone in case of theft or robbery or gas leakage at his or her residence.

Another device facilitates a house’s occupant to switch off lights at home through the cell phone just by feeding a specific code.

There is another device through which a specified hospital and ambulance service receives information automatically in case of any accident if the device is installed in the vehicle.

“These are quite cheap and easy to operate”, Dr Zafar Ilyas, chairperson of the university’s department of physics while briefing visitors at the exhibition.

“There is a need to commercialise such scientific developments and this is how we can encourage academic institutions and students to come up with new innovations and creative ideas in the field of science and technology,” said Dr Siddiqui.

He announced a new research journal on science and technology would be published in July.

Ten papers presented during the two-day conference will also be published in the journal.

The university has decided to develop linkages with industry to introduce new developments in science and technology, he said.

The devices will be introduced in the market in collaboration with the industrial sector for public benefit.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2015.