Thai Cave mission inspires Kerala student to develop rescue device for natural calamities

Muhammed Yaseen N A, a plus-two student from a nondescript village Anakkallu in Kottayam district, has been aiming for a rescue machine ever since he watched the news about a mine accident in Thailand in 2018. He was studying in class six at the time. In the same year his home state of Kerala witnessed a devastating flood, further strengthening his resolve to create a system that could save lives during such disasters.

He worked on it tirelessly over the years and finally came up with a rescue system designed to assist rescuers during calamities. He named the project Saman Kunan, after a former Royal Thai Navy Seal who lost his life in the rescue operation in the Thai cave accident.

The system basically works on a combination of advanced detection units, which include sensors, 3-D image processing mechanism, AI-assisted navigation, and an integrated communication technology to locate and assist victims in calamitous situations.

"When infrared rays capable of piercing concrete slabs or stones are transmitted at a disaster-hit site, the rays reflect after hitting an 'anomaly' - a human or animal structure. This help create an image if someone is trapped beneath the rubble. This is basically the system we use for detection," Yaseen says.

There are sensors that can pierce through the concrete or stones but the problem is the rays emitted from them usually pass through a human body "What we have done is we have customised it to make the rays bounce back after hitting a human being or an animal," Yaseen says.

It is designed to work in floodwaters, enabling automated rescue operations and supporting rescuers with critical information in real-time. The same core platform can also be adapted for other rescue scenarios, such as landslides or large crowd events, without major hardware changes, he adds. "The device we have made now can cover a range of 2 metres or 2.5 metres. The improved version we are aiming at has a range of 3 to 3.5 metres," he says.

"We experimented on the working of the sensors so far in Kerala. We tested the system in simulated flood and landslide situations in the state and also visited disaster-hit areas like Koottikkal along with rescue team to conduct experiments," says Yaseen.

A digital model of the system was developed with support from the 3D Printing Centre of Excellence at IIT Guwahati, while practical work was carried out in collaboration with the Atal Tinkering Lab of St Antony’s Public School and Amal Jyothi College of Engineering.

"The project was selected and awarded under the Kerala Government’s Young Innovators Programme (YIP), implemented by the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC). Funding approval has been granted through YIP itself and is currently pending final review." he says.

The system can be of use not only for the disaster management team of the government but also for NGOs, private agencies Yaseen insists and adds, "Amusement parks with pools can use this system to carry out rescue operations more efficiently than life guards. We can customise the machine according to the needs. The modular nature of the design means it can be adapted to different operational needs and environments," he explains.

He has also created a companion application that can establish a temporary communication network through drones, ensuring that rescuers and victims can stay connected even when conventional internet or mobile networks fail.

A student of St Antony's School in Anakkallu, the 17-year-ol'd ultimate aim is to clear the IAS exam, join the Indian Foreign Service and contribute towards nation building both through innovation and public service. Yaseen is the son of N S Anshad, an employee with Kerala Water authority, and A P Mubeena.