Wednesday 19 March 2014

Activity Scroll 2014

A glimpse of the exciting ongoing projects and news from the studio- 2014


Dandi Memorial Committee members of IITB discussing the deliverables of first phase of Dandi Memorial Project in Gujarat 




Design Innovation Centre Meeting for Hub and Spoke Model collaboration between IITB and College of Engineering Pune (COEP) at Shenoy Innovation Studio, IDC





Visit of Ms. Smriti Irani. Hon'ble Minister of Human Resource Development, Government of India



Ms. Smriti Irani, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development
Government of India visited the Industrial Design Centre.She was glad
 to see all the projects displayed in the Design circle.

She also visited the Shenoy Innovation Studio and discussed 
the scope of Design, Innovation and Development of the country.

Barrier Free Ajanta

Design Journey from Sketch to Prototype

Redesigned concept Sketch of the Palanquin for Ajanta Caves

The CAD Model

Model of the Palanquin

Multiple Prototypes of the chosen design

The Prototype  being  tested in a very narrow stairway.

The swing in the Palanquin as envisaged in the design was
 not acceptable to the porters due to undistributed loading

Postal Railway Mail Trolley

Design journey from Student Project  to Final Implementation


The 1/5th scale student project model the starting point 
for the design intervention 

The first prototype being tested 


Feedback received by India Post Staff and experts

Innovation needs multiple prototypes as aspiration of multiple 
stakeholders and users have to be addressed to come up with a 
product acceptable by all and still retain its innovation component.
Multiple prototypes are arranged sequentially according to 
modifications above

Connection with User- Trolley being tested at various road
conditions from pot hole ridden roads to the tiled railway platform

The Final approved trolley for tender




The final tender specifications for large
 scale implementation


Hand Stamp

Improving the stamps impression and Longevity.


The current hand stamp process

Existing Hand stamp

Final prototype approved for tender

This new stamp includes the date change mechanism for convenience 

Laser etched stainless steel plate for custom production for each post office

Specially designed font for Circular print

Training and Demonstration  of use of hand stamp to India post 
officials for tender purposes at Shenoy Innovation Studio 

Thumb position for correct alignment of stamp

Pilot production of hand stamp in use at IIT Bombay post office and GPO Delhi

Post Box

Design of a maintenance free Post Box.

Features of the new Post Box

This design is easy for collection of letters, change of time and common locking for all the post boxes in the region.It has ample space for advertisements.  Uses contemporary materials –  high quality brush finished stainless steel for durability and vandal proof. High-Tech manufacturing . Use of computer numerical control machines for fabrication of SS sheet.



With easy and efficient Installation it can be transported easily in knockdown condition and assembled at site.Maintenance Free – Low life cycle cost, will lasts for 20 years.



The salient features of the New Post Box

Inauguration ceremony of the New Letter box


 MODIFICATIONS IN THE DESIGN

1. New round top and red powder coated square base gives traditional look.
2. Rust proof, strong durable SS body.
3. Foolproof design for prevention of water and insect entry.


Variations of the top


New round top

The Final Modified design of the Letterbox

The serial development of the final design

Philatelic Display Frames

Design of a maintenance free and portable frame.


More than 1200 frames were used at INDIPEX Pragati Maidaan, New Dehi

Ms. Kavery Banerjee, Chairperson INDIPEX 2011 & Ms. Radhika Doraiswamy, Secretary (Post) & Chairperson P.S. Board had a one point vision of having a display frame with 
novel and futuristic features. Thus the IIT team came up with:

- An Application development in stainless steel
- Panels out of laser cutting and CNC bending
- Maintenance free & durable design
- Stackable & easy to transport design
- Value proposition for international exhibition




 - Looks Innovative
 - Out of the box Design
 - Brush finish on both sides
 - Channel created in SS long lasting material
 - Frames can be removed independently
 - Acrylic doors with locks for safety
 - Stand having both sides display
 - Interlocking possibility
 - Can be arranged in L or C pattern
 - Width approximate 1m, 27 cm

Initial Design


The Final Frame



Postal Seals and Tags

Reduction of cost & self locking mechanism


Problem Identification


 Prototyping (Acrylic, Paper models & Rapid Prototyping)



Plastic Seal with integrated seal tag

Bag seal with metal insert


Plastic seal tag without metal Insert

Rear side with barcode & unique ID



 Pull Strength Testing



Postman Bag

Easy to carry bulk storage in all kind of climates



The bag has three parts, the front two bags are used for quick delivery of letters.Now a days, due to high volume of business post the bags has become very heavy hence the backpack has been chosen as a option of easy of carrying.





The final bag

1) Organized system of spaces for letters , small parcels, important mails
     and accessories like water bottle, umbrella, stationery, etc
2) Convenience : flexible to use as a sling bag as well as a backpack.
3) Durability : weather-proof and lasts for 8-10 years 
4) Cost effective product and can be easily manufactured
5) Enhances the brand image of India Post
6) Comfort: Bag is comfortable due to the presence of foam at the strips
     which helps to reduce stress on the shoulders

Glue Station

A simple and user-friendly mechanism for applying glue on envelopes & stamps using very specific glue.




A separate container with water was used for gluing stamps thereby eliminating the use of glue for the  stamps. It can be mounted on the wall or bolted onto the desk The product is made for abuse as it is made from stainless steel

Works entirely on basic scientific principle of surface tension for transfer and buoyancy to prevent drying. A specific composition of glue is proposed which is long lasting (which doesn't get dry soon), thinner,  cheaper The proposed kind of glue is yet to be mass manufactured.


Separate Container for water and glue



Dispenser ball assembly inspired from Roll-on Deo






Roll on ball replaced by Sponge





Architectural Typologies: Ideas workshop


A freewheeling brainstorming session to generate ideas for 'the house' as a 'means of affordable urban living' as opposed to the formulaic BHK layout. Participants from different design disciplines came up with spatial, furniture, building component and programmatic ideas, among others.This is the first of many workshops planned as a part of the project.


Prof. Matt Jones from FIT Lab, Swansea University visits the studio

Prof Chakravarthy (HOD) showcasing various innovative projects undergoing in the Studio to Prof. Matt 

Prof. Matt Jones visited the studio on 26-3-14 when he gave talk on  mobile interaction design at IDC. He believes that there must be more to mobile interaction than people with their heads-down, cut-off from each other, prodding shiny glass screens. Also, he shared his alternative visions that question the future we seem to be building. Prof. Matt showed his interest in collaborating with IDC in future.


Bamboo stands designed and manufactured at Bamboo Studio, IDC, IIT-B for National Innovation Foundation (NIF's) Exhibition

One module of bamboo stand with panel  

Inauguration of the exhibition by Hon'ble
President of India : Shri Pranab Mukherjee

Shri Pranab Mukherjee and others with Mr. Anil K.Gupta,
Executive Vice Chairman of the National Innovation Foundation

Bamboo Stand designed by IDC at NIF Exhibition


EXHIBITION OF INNOVATION at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi from 7th to 13th March, 2014


Architectural Typologies

The Architectural Typologies project was initiated with support from the Human Settlement Management Institute (HSMI), HUDCO, in April 2013. The project seeks to develop affordable housing typologies tailored to the living needs of their target population. The team completed its first round of user research in November and is currently developing solutions based on their insights.


Dr. Robert Johnson, President of Institute for New Economic Thinking, Ms Sunanda Nair- Bidkar, Consultant and Dr. Jessica Seddon, Founder of Okapi visit the studio to discuss future collaboration






Ms Amita Sharma, Additional Secretary, Technical Education (MHRD) visits the studio



Ms Amita Sharma, visited the Shenoy innovation Studio on 7th March'14 to discuss Iconic Projects- Mumbai Transformation and Ajanta. During the visit, Prof. Chankravarthy showcased ongoing projects in the studio.      

  Trolley Designed for India Post - Railway Mail Service (RMS)

Scale model of student project- by Ashish Sharma

SIS further undertook the project for implementation,
The image shows 1st Prototype of the trolley being tested at CST

Meeting with the stakeholders & 
receiving their valuable feedback
Trolley being operated by a single user at the time of demo

Multiple prototypes arranged sequentially 
according to the modifications

Trolley being tested at various road conditions
from pot hole ridden roads to the tiled railway platform 

Final Prototype of the trolley

Innovation needs multiple prototypes as aspiration of multiple stakeholders and users have to be addressed to come up with a product acceptable by all and still retain its innovation component.

The new trolley for India Post is lightweight, easy to move, safe for pedestrians, has strong and durable stainless steel body and heavy duty Polyurethane wheels.