Low-cost cold storage, vehicle safety device showcased by Erode students

An XI Standard student of the Erode Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School has developed a low-cost cold storage unit aimed at helping farmers preserve fruits and vegetables for five to seven days, while a Class X student of the same school has designed a device intended to improve vehicle safety.
The two projects were among the exhibits presented by students at a district-level science exhibition organised by the School Education Department in Erode on Tuesday to mark the birth anniversary of former President A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam. More than 80 schools participated in the exhibition. Nhithsri, a Class XI student, developed the low-cost cold storage unit with the objective of reducing post-harvest losses faced by farmers.
According to her, the unit uses fans and water tanks to cool the air inside the storage chamber. The system can bring the temperature inside the chamber down to around 25–30°C when the outside temperature is about 35–37°C, she said.
The unit is intended to provide farmers with a relatively inexpensive facility to temporarily store vegetables and fruits and delay their deterioration, enabling them to avoid distress sales immediately after harvest.
Haniya Fathima, a Class X student, developed a vehicle safety device designed to help prevent accidents.
The students explained the working principles and potential applications of their innovations to visitors at the exhibition.
The exhibition provided a platform for students from schools across the district to display science and technology
projects addressing everyday problems and local
needs.