Noise pollution has always been an issue in modern India, especially for those living near the highway. Funnily enough, though this is, of course, a nuisance, few people seem to consider the possibility of turning this output into something we can use. But these students have!

“While on the one hand there is an increased level of noise pollution in India, on the other hand, many parts of the country do not have electricity. We decided to combine these two problems and come up with a solution. Since it is not in our hands to curb noise pollution, we decided to use it and create something useful,” says Akansha Kumari Saha from the ATL of Swami Shradhanand DAV Centenary Public School, Jharkhand.

The idea of converting noise into electricity occurred to Akansha and Khushi during an ideation session focused on identifying local challenges and its solutions.

They built a prototype with a sound sensor. The sensor gathers noise and converts it into electricity through vibrations. The converted energy is stored in a battery, and the LED lights in the prototype use the converted electricity to get power.

The innovation has many uses beyond a hand-held torch. For example, it can be used for city streets where there is constant noise, especially during the day.

“I would like to tell all young innovators like me that they should constantly try and come up with new ideas – ideas that would result in the betterment of the country and would involve young people in the process of building the nation,” Akansha says.