At present, social distancing is of paramount importance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode-based incubated startup has developed a unique wearable hand band that sends out an alarm in case of proximity which helps in maintaining social distancing.
Known as the ‘Veli Band’, it has been developed by Qual5 India Pvt Ltd, a startup mentored as well as funded by IIMK’s business LIVE (Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing, and Entrepreneurship) and entrepreneurship development centre.
The band, to be worn on the wrist, helps in implementing social distancing norms and contact tracing which would help companies and organizations in complying with the government protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For a very short span, it vibrates, sounds buzzer, and flashes lights at the same time in order to notify users that another band is within 3 feet, reminding them of the necessity to maintain the required distance.
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The device is also able to anonymously monitor interactions with other devices and track employee movements in real-time.
According to the start-up, the hand band is Omni-directional, and it comes with a rechargeable battery. For detection purposes, it relies on Bluetooth Low Energy technology.
“Qual5, a woman-founded enterprise, has adapted its expertise of tracking warehouse inventories into a quick, marketable solution in the form of Veli band,” Professor Keyoor Purani, Executive Director, LIVE at IIMK said.
According to Purani, the startup had recently bagged Rs 25 lakh funding under the MRPL IIMK LIVE Seed support assistance program.
The Executive Director also added that the ‘Veli Band’ is much better than other similar mobile applications because not all employees have smartphones at their workplaces. In addition, the ergonomically-designed band also gives inputs about workers who violate social distancing norms.