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Tamil Nadu twins build machine ‘Shield-X' to sterilise everyday objects

Tamil Nadu twins build machine ‘Shield-X' to sterilise everyday objects

India Today11-07-2025
A pair of twin brothers from Tamil Nadu have designed and patented a new sterilisation machine aimed at promoting personal hygiene, inspired by the widespread impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Named 'Shield-X', the device is intended to disinfect everyday personal belongings and reduce the spread of harmful pathogens in public and private spaces.The inventors, Ramnath and Laxmanakanth from Salem, said their motivation stemmed from witnessing the devastation caused by the pandemic and the need for accessible hygiene solutions. 'We faced major loss of life due to the Covid-19 pandemic, life loss caused not by war or natural calamity but by pathogens. Though we maintained social distancing, one way for such pathogens to stay around was due to our neglect to keep items that we use everyday clean and even if such a product had to be used, it was not affordable. This led to us creating the Shield-X chamber as a way to remind the public about keeping their day-to-day used products clean and sterile,' said Laxmanakanth.advertisementThe Shield-X machine has been designed with four distinct modes of sterilisation, tailored to the type of object being cleaned. 'We have initially created the machine with four modes sterilisation which includes, UV-sterilisation where 89-2100 nm UV light will be used, then thermal disinfectant, third is fogging treatment where we have worked on a chemical composition and final process fume extraction where hot, dry air is used to sterilise. Based on the items, the sterilisation process varies. Cellphones are objects which we use regularly but we never clean and so for sterilising smartphones we can use UV treatment for 30 seconds, while for an object like a helmet, we will have to use all four methods of cleaning which can be done in 4 minutes,' explained Ramnath.
The brothers believe that the Shield-X chamber can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of environments. 'The machine is designed in such a manner that it can also be used like a vending machine and is app compatible,' said Ramnath. They added that the machine can be installed in educational institutions, corporate offices, and public spaces, offering a practical and automated solution to help keep commonly used items sterile.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
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