BOKARO: Jharkhand resident, Rupesh Kumar, has developed a mobile application called Rakshak Road Safety to provide immediate medical assistance to road accident victims. Inspired by a friend’s loss due to a delayed ambulance service, Rupesh’s app aims to reduce the number of road accident deaths and save lives.
According to the latest government data, over 1,50,000 people lost their lives due to road accidents in 2021, with the 18-45 age group being the worst affected.
Using artificial intelligence and data from sensors, Rakshak Road Safety notifies nearby hospitals’ emergency services, police stations, and the people within a 1 km radius of the accident, providing them with the exact location of the accident, as well as the details of the victim and the vehicle. The app also messages people who are in the emergency contact list given by the user and provides a first-aid guide to help the victim before professional medical help arrives.
The mobile application uses Google cloud services to get information about the nearest hospitals and police stations and informs them about the accident and vital information such as blood group and disabilities of the victim. Furthermore, the app promotes road safety rules and informs the traffic police whenever users exceed the speed limit. The app is also equipped with modules that do not allow phone calls to happen while driving, given that cell phone use causes 1.6 percent of road accidents.
Currently studying in Class 10 at the Delhi Public School Bokaro, Rupesh has been recognised for the 2023 INSPIRE Manak scholarship of Rs 10,000 from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for his innovative solution. The app has been evaluated and tested by competition officials, and Rupesh has received positive feedback from them. The INSPIRE Manak provides full patent, funding, and support to make the app public once the competition is finalised.
Rupesh is using the scholarship amount to invest in further research and development of the mobile app. He aspires to work with car manufacturers to enhance the impact of the mobile app and help prevent road accidents in the country. Rupesh’s ultimate goal is to make a positive impact and contribute to the betterment of society in any way he can.