Waste can be useful if you have a quirky and innovative mind. Mechanical engineering students of Sapthagiri College of Engineering in Bengaluru, who are in their final year, have created an e-scooter out of an old Bajaj Chetak, which was rusting in the corner of a garage in Shivajinagar. With this one, you won’t have to stop again at any petrol pump, as it runs on battery.
After bargaining with a scrap dealer, these students bought the scooter for Rs 500 and then dismantled it. Further, the engine was replaced with the battery discharge and DC motor. While talking to TOI, one of the students, Hemant Kumar said, “The DC controller helped in controlling the headlights, indicator and the horn.”
To reconstruct a bike with their unique ideas, the team worked on the project day and night for two months. The principal of Sapthagiri College of Engineering KL Shivabasappa said, “It is a proud moment for the college as these students achieved the feat at a budget of Rs 12,000.”
Upset by the increasing prices of motor fuel, the undergraduate students wanted to come up with a vehicle that consumes less fuel. A biotechnology professor of the same college, Prasant said, “The e-scooter needs to be charged 3-4 hours and consumes 3.5 units of electricity before it can hit the road. The vehicle is equipped with a socket on its left and can be easily charged with an AC adapter.”
According to the report, the college wants to take this idea a step further by approaching Bajaj, so that they can commercially produce their prototype.
Not just that. It seems that these students are on an innovation spree. Apart from creating an e-vehicle, these students have also made a cheap plough machine to help farmers.
The ploughing machine can be operated manually and it comes with 25-liter storage drum to keep seeds and fertilizers. When the plough rotates, the seeds and fertilizers fall to the ground and makes agriculture easy for the farmers. As compared to costly ploughing machines in the market, this one is cheap and user-friendly as well, said M Manikanta, a student.