IIT-Delhi students Braille project wins top innovation prize

A student project from IIT Delhi on increasing Braille display for the visually impaired has won the top award in a national innovation contest here.
The project 'Affordable refreshable Braille Display', designed by Mechanical Engineering students of IIT Delhi has been adjudged the best project at the National Innovation Contest - TechTop 2014 at Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (MBCET).
The prize, comprising a cash award of Rs one lakh, was awarded yesterday to the winners by K Sivan, Director - LPSC (Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre), ISRO at the valedictory function.
The second prize of Rs 50,000 was won by Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram and the third prize of Rs 30,000 went to Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ghaziabad.

Congratulating the winners, Sivan said youth have a crucial role to play in meeing the emerging challenges of space technology.
The winning team comprising Ankit Kumar, Dhruv Gupta and Pulkit Sapra of IIT Delhi developed an actuator design using a compliant system based on Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology that will help in the increase of Braille display among the visually impaired.
They thought of developing the idea after a visit to a blind school 'Saksham Daksh' in Noida in the National capital Region.