Arman Ali Khan and Mustafa Shah, two 6th grade students from the Green Valley educational institution, Ellahibagh Srinagar have emerged as young budding innovators after successfully developing a device to mitigate the increasing number of dog attacks occurring almost every day.
This innovative tool, known as the dog stick, effectively prevents dogs from attacking people.
Arman Ali Khan, a 6th grade student, told Rising Kashmir that the duo have created a device called the dog stick, which helps in reducing dog attack cases, especially among senior citizens and young children.
“My friend and I have introduced innovations in our school for the Atal Marathon Participation, and our school authorities have approved it.” Arman said.
He said, “Our innovative idea was selected for the Atal Marathon through our school, we conducted extensive research on this project. The school administration has been extremely supportive of our research efforts.”
“After the completion of the research on the project, we have started working to build our prototype device. In this device, we have used the curtain rod, ultrasound sensor, Arduino, vibrator, buzzer, and 5 volt battery,” Arman Ali Khan said.
Arman mentioned that they have successfully connected the ultrasound sensor with Arduino, the buzzer with Arduino, and the vibrator with a 5-volt battery. The ultrasound sensor emits high-frequency sound waves that can only be heard by dogs, causing them to feel scared.
He said that the school authorities have provided full financial support for the development of this prototype device. “We did not have to spend any money on this project”, he said.
He also mentioned that one of their classmates assisted them in coding for this project. “Our teachers from the school have been very supportive in helping us build this prototype device”, the duo revealed.
Arman explained that if the dogs are not scared by the high-frequency sound,there was another option. “We can use the vibrator to produce minor electric shocks that will prevent the dogs from attacking people”, he said.
He expressed his gratitude towards the school administration and parents for their support, which has led to the successful completion of their prototype device. He emphasised the importance of parents supporting their children’s innovative ideas in the field of science and technology.
Arman suggests that students who possess interest in innovation should not only focus on their studies, but also work on developing their ideas. “By doing so, they will gain a better understanding of the fundamental concepts related to innovation at the school level. These innovative ideas will not only enhance students’ interest in science and technology, but also contribute to our country’s ability to develop advanced devices that can address community issues at the local level”, he said.
” Students who believe that innovation is not possible must dedicate themselves to hard work in order to develop a prototype device that will allow them to showcase their innovative ideas to the world,” He added.
Imran Ali Khan, Arman’s father, said that during the winter vacations in 2023, he personally dropped off and picked up his son from school for over two months. During this time, his son worked upon this innovative idea at school.
Khan stated that he has provided full support to his child and encourages him to continue working on innovative projects that can directly benefit people.
“It is the responsibility of every parent to guide and support their children in making a positive contribution to society,” he said.
Adding to that, the school authorities have also played a crucial role in helping these two students complete the prototype device within a two-month time period.
Pertinent to mention here, The ATL Marathon is Atal Innovation Mission’s flagship innovation challenge, where schools identify community problems of their choice and develop innovative solutions in the form of working prototypes.
An official from the JK-SCERT said that students from Government and Private schools are being offered diverse platforms to showcase their innovative ideas through their respective schools.
“The selected innovative ideas of the students at the school level will also have the opportunity to participate in district and Divisional level competitions. This will enable their ideas to be considered for national and state level competitions,” he said.
