A fast Google search will reveal a sequence of stories studies that discuss bike thefts, that are commonplace and happen day by day throughout India. When Samrat Nath was in Class 8, he watched his uncle fall sufferer when he turned among the many many individuals whose bike was stolen.
“The incident was shocking and left a dent, because my uncle did not have much financial stability. He had purchased the bike with a loan, and buying another one would add to his burden. The theft disturbed the monthly expenses he maintained,” the 19-year-old, a resident of Karimganj in Assam, tells The Better India.
He says he might always remember in regards to the incident. “I always wondered if a system could be devised to prevent motorcycle theft. But I was in school at the time, and did not have any means or resources to find a solution,” he notes.
After Class 12, when Samrat moved to Silchar to pursue vocational research at ITI Assam Rifles, he was lastly capable of conceive concepts for the difficulty. “I started thinking of adding a GPS tracking system and fingerprint sensor, and creating a mobile app to lock and unlock the bike,” he says.
Samrat referred to numerous YouTube movies to study in regards to the functioning and techniques in an e-bike. “I did not have any money to buy these expensive devices. So I started learning coding from YouTube, and learned how to create an electric circuit from an e-bicycle. To fund the project, I started working at a local mobile repairing shop,” he provides.
With his financial savings, Samrat bought a bicycle and spent Rs 25,000 to construct a theft-proof e-bicycle.
Realising a dream
“The e-bicycle powers itself via Lithium-ion batteries recycled from used laptops, and offers a range of 60 km on a single charge, with a top speed of 40 km per hour,” he says.
Samrat developed an app that connects with the GPS put in on the bicycle to allow monitoring. “It also allows you to lock and unlock the bicycle via the internet. If any person tries to fiddle with the e-bicycle, it triggers a burglar alarm and sends a notification on the app,” he explains.
Moreover, Samrat says the fingerprint sensor permits solely the registered consumer to function the bike. “The fingerprint sensor allows access to switch on electronic locks and other components of the bike,” he provides.
For the worst-case situation, if the e-bicycle is in distant elements, it could actually nonetheless be traced till a sure distance. “GPS tracking requires the internet to trace the bicycle. But if the internet connection is weak or absent, an alternate module has been fitted on the GPS circuit. The Long Range (LoRa) radio communication allows accessing position of the vehicle up to 15 km range,” he provides.
Samrat says such options can be found on e-bikes out there, and value lakhs of rupees. “No e-bicycle has them yet, which makes this idea unique,” he says.
He says constructing a theft-proof e-bicycle got here with many challenges. “I wanted to build a motorcycle, but due to a lack of funds, I had to use an e-bicycle. Moreover, while I managed to learn the basics of coding, I found myself struggling during advanced stages to build a GPS that pointed to precise locations on the map. Funds remain a challenging aspect as I need Rs 60,000 to patent my product,” he says.
Samrat plans to register his product and set up an organization named Sam Electron. “I want to sell my product on a commercial scale. At present, I am exploring partners and mentors who can support me with my dream,” he says.
To assist Samrat for his trigger, name him at +91 6000180664.
Edited by Divya Sethu