Chennai: Madras Christian College has recently unveiled a technologically advanced duck to assess the water quality of a lake situated within its extensive 300-acre campus in Tambaram. This IoT-enabled, remote-controlled duck is equipped with sensors to capture real-time data on various parameters such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and pH. The lake serves as a vital water source on the campus and was cleaned as part of a corporate social responsibility initiative by Bisleri International Limited, who also provided funding for the development of a water quality monitoring prototype. A team at MCC-MRF Innovation Park designed the 3D-printed duck and accompanying app for data analysis.
According to Paul Wilson, Principal of Madras Christian College, the smart duck's deployment allows for data-driven decisions in preserving the lake's ecosystem and wildlife by identifying any changes in water quality indicative of contamination. The duck is self-sustaining with solar panels for power and can operate for up to two days without sunlight, with the option for manual charging when needed, as explained by Kousik, the founder of the company KOLOZEN responsible for building the duck. The startup has been successfully collecting and transmitting data for the past two weeks.
Experts envision the possibility of deploying similar ducks in other water bodies beyond the campus to continuously monitor water quality and collect valuable data for local authorities. This data can offer insights into water body dynamics during different conditions like rainfall and seasons, highlighting environmental health and disease concerns. Professor T Pradeep from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Madras emphasized the potential of creating a hydro informatics platform based on this data.
The MCC campus hosts a diverse range of wildlife, including about 90 spotted deer, porcupines, toddy cats, and bats within its scrub jungle.Meras have been installed to aid the college in monitoring the movements of wild animals on campus.
