LPU Researchers developed ‘contactless smart dustbin’ to combat covid-19 pandemic

•        Innovative product ‘ALLY’ is expected to find use in quarantined zones of hospitals
•        This bin is another product that has been conceptualized under the one million dollar fund specially set up by LPU to combat Covid-19 pandemic
Jalandhar: A research team of engineering students from Punjab-based Lovely Professional University (LPU) has developed an interactive smart dustbin, ‘Ally’, for use in hospitals and medical centers. The innovative product is a contactless waste collection and disposal bin. It follows voice commands; moves on a predefined path inside a controlled environment; helps contactless collection of waste by opening its lid automatically; senses its current status or level; initiates the disposal procedure once the waste is filled to a predefined threshold; and, gets ready for reuse.
LPU Chancellor Mr Ashok Mittal informs: “LPU team has developed a prototype of the bin and conducted successful trials within the university. We are now looking for industrial partners to commercialize the product. The final product is expected to be ready for deployment in two months.” Adding, Mr Mittal shared: “Ally can be extremely relevant for picking waste from quarantined areas like rooms, without any human contact. The fact is that it works via voice command, which makes it easy for the hospital staff to use it conveniently without any contact”.
In fact, during present time, there is a pressing need for frontline workers to work in a safer environment. The smart bin ‘Ally’ is indeed a smart contactless dustbin in that sense. This contactless bin is another product that has been conceptualized and developed under the one million dollar fund specially set up by LPU to combat the outbreak of Covid-19.
Along with LPU Professors Dr Lovi Raj Gupta, Dr Rajesh Singh, Dr Anita Gehlot, some of the research students, involved in the time needed scientifically developed innovative engineering product ‘ALLY’, are Prabin Kumar Das, Vanka Vinay Kumar and KM Vaishanvi Gupta. The estimated cost of the prototype bin is ₹20,000.  The said bin is 3 ft high, 1.5 ft wide & it weighs around 5 kg. LPU expects a 25 percent drop in the price post its commercialization.