dEsPeRaTiOn & nEeD !!!

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF ALL INVENTIONS ----- ------ ANONYMOUS

DESPERATION IS THE MOTHER OF NECESSITY ------------ nitcAMPHICAR team

nEeD !!!

We are taught at school to think globally and act locally.

Man has learnt to fly, cruise and travel in the air, on water and land, respectively without developing some supernatural powers. The efficiency of travel has also increased with the evolution of rafts to high speed submarines, from gliders to supersonic jets and from bullock carts to F1 racing cars. However, all these developments have taken in an isolated manner, that is, an efficient land racer cannot run on water or in air. The result of this is a time lag which can bring about serious consequences. Some of them are:

1) During natural calamities like floods, people depend on rescue boats to reach a safe location. A good example is the hurricane Katrina where almost all the households had personal cars but were totally helpless and waited for the arrival of the rescue boats.

2) In rural areas in a country like India, the transportation infrastructure is below standards. This leads to higher time lags and drastically reduces the productivity and efficiency. This transportation time lag triggers a chain of unwanted consequences throughout the entire process.

3) Fishermen risk their lives in the sea but depend solely on the distributors to take their products and hence are paid a very little sum compared to the retail price.

All the above and many more drawbacks can be overcome by developing a product which can synchronize the travel on land and water, on land and in the air or a combination of all these.

In a gruelling effort, we have moved forward to build a concept vehicle which can travel on both land and on water without any time lag, a product which can eliminate the time lag for travelling in two distinct media. Thus, we endeavour to build an amphicar.

In the mean time, I was introduced to this wonderful show called Topgear by one of my friends where I saw amphibious cars being built for fun. He suggested it for the project. This was the ignition that sparked on the fire within me and my friends to look into the concept with lot more sincerity and determination. Personally, the determination became the desperation. Thus we embarked on this idea and started our endeavour for a project that was untouched hitherto probably in any technical institution in India.

bEnEfItS

In due course of time, we encountered umpteen situations where an amphibious vehicle can come in handy. Some of them as of now are:

Flood rescue operations: whether it is hurricane Katrina or the devastating floods of the river Kosi, the consequences are generally aggravated by untimely rescue as there is a lag between the movement on land and water. By having a low cost amphibious vehicle, all the time delays can be avoided.

Fisherman’s chariot: often fishermen have to risk their lives in the sea and have to settle for a price much less than the market price. With a low-cost amphibious vehicle, they can access the market in a more comprehensive manner and improve their livelihood.

Personal travel: people who have to cross rivers or other water bodies for reaching their destinations like schools, offices, etc. will have no longer to wait for steamers (like me!) and thus save some precious moments of their life which can be spent with the family.

Tourist vehicle: whether it be Singapore or Amsterdam, duck tours are common and fun.

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