Bantakal students develop foot-operated washbasin

The final year Mechanical Engineering students at Shri Madhwa Vadiraja Institute of Technology and Management (SMVITM), Bantakal, have developed a ‘foot-operated washbasin’.

The project was carried out by Rakshith N, Shreyas Poojary, Swasthik B Acharya and Vignesh Nayak under the guidance of Kiran N Bhat, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Considering the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, the students of SMVITM have developed a new design of washbasin, which can be used in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools and colleges, said Principal Dr Thirumaleshwara Bhat.

The aim of this work is to avoid touching the water tap and to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

In this machine, one has to apply pressure on the ram, which is there at the bottom of the machine, using the foot. Once the pressure is applied, the water will spill out from the tap and the hands can be washed with water.

This ensures that direct contact between hand and water tap can be avoided. This machine does not require any electric power for its operation and is completely made of mechanical components. Hence the durability and reliability of this machine is greater compared to electronic/sensor-based washbasin.

The flow of water can be regulated by the foot itself. Therefore, wastage of water can be avoided. Also, this machine is fabricated at a very affordable cost, said the students.