Chennai's Madras Christian College has introduced an innovative method to monitor the water quality of a lake located within its expansive 300-acre campus in Tambaram. A new smart duck, equipped with IoT technology and remotely controlled, will traverse the lake to gather real-time data on various parameters such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and pH. The lake, an important water source on campus, was recently desilted through a CSR project by Bisleri International Limited, who also provided the funds for the development of a prototype to assess water quality. Developed by a team from the MCC-MRF Innovation Park, the 3D-printed duck is fitted with sensors and features an accompanying app for data reception and analysis.
Principal Paul Wilson expressed that this innovative solution will enable informed decisions towards conserving the lake, thereby safeguarding the local ecology and wildlife. The smart duck's deployment was Wilson's brainchild, with the potential to detect contamination or other water quality changes, leading to proactive mitigation measures. The duck integrates solar panels for power, allowing for two days of operation without sunlight, with a manual charging option available when needed, as highlighted by Kousik, founder of the startup KOLOZEN responsible for the duck's construction.
Over the past two weeks, the startup has been successfully collecting and transferring data. Researchers envision extending this technology to monitor water bodies beyond the campus, potentially aiding local authorities in water quality surveillance. Furthermore, the data obtained could provide insights into how water bodies are affected by rain, seasonal variations, environmental health, and possible diseases. Professor T Pradeep from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Madras emphasized the substantial potential for creating a hydroinformatics platform utilizing this data.
Within the campus' scrub jungle reside various wildlife species, including spotted deer, porcupines, toddy cats, and bats. The initiative to utilize smart ducks for water quality monitoring showcases the college's commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability.Meras are installed in their eyes to assist the college in monitoring the movements of wild animals on campus.
