Student develops software to chase away wild elephants

R Madhumathi, doing her MTech in Vellore Institute of Technology, accompanied her father K Raja of Palleri village in Walajahpet taluk to the meeting. During the allotted time, she gave an audio-visual presentation of a software, which she had developed over six months, much to the delight of both farmers and forest department staff present. 

“When installed in a camera, it could identify specific animals, in this case, elephants. When the animal comes within a range it would immediately shoot off an SMS message to cell phones.”

Furthermore, a facility to emit the noise of bees buzzing can also be added. Since elephants are averse to the sound, they might be chased away,” Madhumathi said. Her father Raja said, “I am unlettered and so I put my children through a proper education. Though her brother is now employed with TCS, they still contact each other on improving the software.”

After hearing her presentation, the collector told Madhumathi that she should provide a separate demonstration to forest department officials as it would greatly help them. Gudiyattam and Pernambut areas in Vellore district, adjoining Andhra Pradesh, are frequently invaded by wild elephant herds which damage crops and attack humans too.