Innovation fair at IIT-Delhi for the 'tech curious'

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Can bamboo replace concrete and steel? Or how about a low-cost tsunami and earthquake warning system? Such and many more projects will be on display at Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi's (IIT-D) annual open house fair Saturday.

The students and faculty of one the country's top engineering schools will showcase 300 projects of research and technological innovations at I2Tech2009, a day-long event for the 'tech savvy and the tech curious', said S. Prasad, director of IIT-D, at a press conference.

'This open house event is being held for the fifth successive year and will create a platform for interaction between the industry and general public with the faculty and students of the institute. We are hoping to obtain valuable inputs from visitors, in terms of suggestions and specific proposals for collaborations,' said Prasad.

Projects on display will include a study based on predictions of water level and extent of coastal inundation due to cyclonic storms, a study on an algael root as a biological treatment of carbon dioxide and many more.

The institute also announced that its department of applied sciences has received the Science Bridge Award from the government's department of science and technology, in collaboration with Britain's European Policies Research Centre.

Under the programme, IIT students will be given a funding of Rs. 240 million assistance to help villagers explore local resources using bio-friendly measures. They will be tasked with setting up base in a 'remote West Bengal village'.

'This will enable students to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and assess the viability of their ideas,' said S.N. Singh, dean of industrial research and development at IIT-D.