The Hindu Business Line : MIT-returned techie designs heating/cooling jacket

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MIT-returned techie designs heating/cooling jacket

Files for US patent; US, Indian Army show keen interest

— P.V. Sivakumar

Passion to innovate: A student tries out the heating/cooling jacket conceived and designed by Mr Kranthi Kiran Vistakula (left) at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad on Monday.

G. Naga Sridhar

Hyderabad, Dec. 17

An opportunity to study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could be a dream for many but for Mr Kranthi Kiran Vistakula, it was the passion to innovate that made him take a break from his studies in MIT to work on an innovation, active heating/cooling jacket, claimed to be the first of its kind.

The prototype of the apparel invented by Mr Vistakula is already making waves with the US Army and Indian Army showing keen interest in it. “I am currently working with IIT- Delhi to bring out a final product that can be tested for use by the US military,” he told Business Line at the Indian School of Business (ISB) here on Monday.

Mr Vistakula is one of the innovators participating in ‘Metamorphosis’, a platform in which the innovators are being offered concrete solutions to make their invention a successful business venture, being organised by the ISB jointly with the Government of India.

Son of an engineer working with Andhra Pradesh State Electrical Board in Hyderabad, Mr Vistakula had done his biomedical engineering in MIT and took a break from studies after enrolling in mechanical engineering about a year-ago to pursue innovation.

“I wanted to work on user-controlled heating/cooling apparel as we need to change over into protective suits whenever we step out in Boston. I wanted to invent simpler clothing for dealing with varying temperatures,” he explained. It took about one year for him to design heating/cooling apparel using breathable fabrics and battery-powered heating/cooling devices.

The 23-year-old engineer had used $20,000 merit scholarships he had secured for the purpose.

“My product can control temperature in the range of 4-40 degrees Centigrade though one needs to control temperature between 18 and 29 degrees Centigrade,” he exclaimed.

The apparel, if commercialised would be of great use for defence and civil purposes. “It would fit the bill for our soldiers based in Siachen or Rajasthan,” he added.

“I am working in tandem with IIT-Delhi to make the final product ready in next six months. After that it would be tested for US defence use,” he said. Tentatively, he wanted to price the product at $500 and $1,000 for civil and defence use in the US.

Mr Vistakula has already filed for a US patent for his product and is planning to apply for an Indian patent soon.

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