Students innovate for sustained development

An exercise bike that lights up bulbs while you work out. Water hyacinths that can be used for paper and furniture production. Connecting key hospitals with remote ones through existing satellites in space.

These were just some of the innovative models exhibited by students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools at the two-day regional-level exhibition on the theme ‘Science and Technology for Sustained Development’ held at Rajhans Vidyalaya in Andheri which concluded on Sunday. Students from 25 schools across the state had to develop working models of their ideas based on the exhibition’s theme.

The model judged to have the most potential will be sent for the national-level competition to be held in Delhi in September.

“The CBSE has been conducting science fests for the past three years. The winner of the national-level fest will be sent for an international competition,” said Uma Unni, supervisor and project co-ordinator of Rajhans Vidyalaya.

A steady stream of curious onlookers visited the exhibition asking students to demonstrate their models. Radheya Gulhane, a student of class IX at Lloyds Vidhya Niketan, Wardha, burnt hundreds of calories demonstrating his energy-producing exercise bike.

“The bike converts human muscle power into frictional heat which is then made into electricity. It is a cost-effective way of producing electricity,” he said.

Another model which appealed to several visitors was the model made by students of RN Podar School that showed a unique method to light up street lamps when a car slows down at a speed-breaker.

“We converted the weight of the car into electricity by using a piston gear system. The model, which has to be installed under the speed-breaker, will cost up to Rs3 lakh to set up,” said Abhishek Patil, a student of Class XII.