Indian Institute of Technology in Punjab’s Ropar has come up with a unique Internet of Things (IoT) device called AmbiTag. The device is said to be capable of recording the real-time ambient temperature of perishable products, body organs, and blood vaccines while they are being transported.
The device comes with a USB-like design that constantly records the temperature of its surroundings ranging from -40℃ to 80℃ regardless of the time zone and can work for 90 days after one full charge.
A one-stop solution
There are many devices like the AmbiTag available in the international market that record data but only for 30 to 60 days. The new device comes with a host of features that enable users to log intervals, time zones, and set alarms, noted Dr. Suman Kumar, IoT Systems Domain coordinator at the Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (AWaDH).
Kumar said the new device comes at a price below Rs. 1,000 and is certified, ensuring the use of the device for various applications. “It generates an alert when the temperature goes beyond a pre-set limit. The recorded data can be retrieved in user-defined format by connecting the USB with any computer,” he said.
Will be sold at production cost
“AmbiTag in India is developed by the researchers at the IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH and its startup ScratchNest. The ScratchNest is an IoT technology startup founded by four IIT Ropar students. AmbiTag is waterproof and monitors ambient temperature during the transportation of vaccines, including Covid-19, medicines, blood samples, food and dairy products, meat products, and animal semen. So far, such devices are being imported by India in a massive quantity from other countries, such as; Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, and China,” said Amit Bhatti, co-founder of ScratchNest.
Project Director of AWaDH, Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, said the mass-production of AmbiTag will also kick off soon. AmbiTag will be supplied to all companies that are transporting COVID-19 vaccines from production plants to vaccine centers in India. The device will be made available at the production cost of Rs. 400, notes Dr. Singh.
