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Maker Village to Blend Cutting-edge Tech to Deal with Social Needs

In Business
November 16, 2018

KOCHI:
Keeping in mind that no technology is complete until it is of use to the common man, Maker Village, the country’s largest hardware incubator, has come up with an array of start-ups that employs state-of-the-art technology to tackle social needs.

As many as 14 startups have lined up at a technology expo at the ongoing TiEcon Kerala 2018 which is the state’s largest entrepreneurs’ convention. The startups at the two-day event concluding on Saturday display a wide range of technologies that could deal with rural, environmental, healthcare, disaster management and other requirements of society.

For instance, Ascent technologies, a startup incubated at the Maker Village, has come up with a mapping system that can identify the right hospital and doctor as well as the availability of ambulance during an emergency, says Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, CEO, Maker Village.

“Suppose, if an emergency arises and you want to rush somebody to the hospital,” he points out. “By the time the hospital and the availability of doctors as well as an ambulance are identified, there are huge chances the patient would lose life. This technology can be of immense assistance during such cases.”

Yet another startup has developed a portable ECG monitoring system at an affordable rate. Pointing out such technologies are the need of the hour, Prasad explains that such a facility can save a lot of lives in the hinterlands where ECG monitoring are a rarity. “Only big hospitals are endowed with ECG facilities. Hence, taking such facilities to rural areas can save lots of lives,” he notes. What’s more, this startup is piloted by a woman entrepreneur.

Another interesting product provides a waste water-recycling solution for households. This solution from a company called Ecodew will have applications in apartments, villas and SMEs, especially in the urban areas.

An automated IV solution from Eve labs is the first of its kind in the country, with huge application in cases where there is the need for largescale and long-duration infusion. This product will have excellent application in old-age homes and patients ridden at houses.

The pavilion displays technologies that could be used in disaster management to those that detect symptoms of udder diseases while milking a cow. Artificial intelligence has percolated into people’s lives in a way that its importance could not be underplayed anymore, he pointed out. “This does not mean that our focuses are constricted to social causes alone, but a larger market,” Nair adds.

There are technology startups that are getting ready to make it big in the global market. Cavalier Wireless, a company from Maker Village, offers a solution that gives global connectivity for the IOT devices for the telecom service providers. Cavalier is in talks with a few telecom giants from different parts of the world. The deals are expected to be finalised in three months.

Bangalore-based Ignitarium has started incubating its automated asset and people tracking solution at Maker Village recently. The solution that leverages Machine Learning is another product targeting global markets.