Days after Delhi horror, Himachal Class X student demonstrates 'smart helmet' with SOS alert

Days after a gruelling incident saw a Delhi woman dragged for 12 km after suffering an accident in the capital's Kanjhawala area, a Class X student in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Friday demonstrated the operation of a 'smart helmet', with features such as pressure plates and an SOS system.

Hamirpur:Days after the shocking Kanjhawala hit-and-run case, a Class X student in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Friday presented her recent invention at a state-level competition, a 'smart helmet' designed keeping in mind accidents and emergencies. Ridhima Thakur, a student of Dalhousie Public School in Chamba, said, "When I was in Class VIII, my mother was learning to ride a Scooty. During this, she had a minor accident and suffered injuries, although they were not life-threatening. After this, the idea of having a piece of equipment, which would provide her with immediate assistance came to my mind." .

Explaining the mechanism of the helmet, Thakur said the device used pressure plates, which get auto-activated when the rider suffers a fall and the helmet touches the ground. "Upon impact, it sends a signal, in the form of a message or phone call, to whoever is saved as a contact. Additionally, there is also a camera installed in the device, which shares real-time footage of the accident, which can be checked and even presented as evidence in court" she explained.

Taking as an example the Delhi hit-and-run case, Ridhima said a signal would be sent to the victim's family members via the pressure plates, which are installed inside the transmitter module. "After the transmitter module produces a signal, the receiver will receive it and determine the output whether the user wishes to send a call or a text message. Numbers, which are stored inside the Arduino Uno, which is essentially the brain of the system, will then make the call/text via a GSM sim card," she added.

The helmet also uses a buckle system, which the Class X student, highlighted as a security feature. A beep will alert the user that the helmet is not properly buckled, in a fashion similar to car seatbelts, Thakur said. Although the initial piece for the Inspire Standard competition cost Rs 8,500 to make, commercially produced units would be available at a price of around Rs 4,000, she said.