On a safe track

While the convenience of a two-wheeler is hard to match, the safety too is a nagging worry. With the number of two-wheeler related accidents on the rise, four engineering students, took on the challenge of tackling the safety issue.

The mechanical engineering students of MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology have created a mechanism to make the two-wheeler more user-friendly by incorporating the safety of a three-wheeler into a two-wheeler. Roshan Arun N S, Shreyas Sabnis, Sharat Iyengar and Shreyas S G have worked from September last to make their idea a reality. And not only did they succeed but the team was also recently won the best project award.

Their creation which they have named ‘Swayer’ is designed for those who are not comfortable balancing a two-wheeler. “The mechanism is such that it can be attached to an existing two-wheeler and can be converted into an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV),” explains Roshan.

The group has estimated that if the product is mass produced then the cost would work out between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000. “We also found out that almost 80 per cent of the accidents take place due to the inability to balance while executing a turn when riding. As a group, we were looking for an idea whereby we could improve the safety of the rider,” he says.

“It’s been a long journey since the conception of the idea. What started off as paper sketches were then tried out in 3D after which an analysis was done, which was validated by professors. Only after that was it fabricated,” he adds.

The group also says that ‘Swayer’ would be a better replacement to the existing vehicles available for the physically-challenged. “It is more aero-dynamically suited,” says Roshan.
Shreyas Sabnis says, “It has not been easy, especially since we didn’t have a point of reference.We had to go around figuring things out. But we have learnt a lot and it has been a fulfilling experience,” he says. “We wanted our product to be a revolution in the field of safety. It has gone through several stages. Finally, we designed a vehicle which tilted like a two-wheeler and yet, is as safe as a three-wheeler,” he says. Sharat Iyengar, says that the project helped them put their knowledge of engineering in a more practical way. “We were able to put into practice all that we had learnt in the last four years,” he adds.

The team has funded the materials themselves. Shreyas S G, a member of the group, says, “We are working on improving the design. Although the design is safe, there is scope for improvement design wise, which we are working on.”

He adds, “We are working hard to see that it is brought into mainstream market.”