13-YO’s Patented Washing Machine Recycles Soap Water, Saves Hundreds Of Litres Of Water

In Samabesh Nayak’s house, finding ways to reduce wastage of water has always been given utmost importance. The Bhubaneswar resident, who works as an administrative officer at a management school, emphasises on using water judiciously especially at home with his family, which includes his 13-year-old son Ayushman and wife Sucharita.

“We have an overhead tank installed in the house. We’re careful while using water for bathing, in the washing machine, and other such domestic needs, and keep a constant watch on depleting water levels,” Samabesh says, and adds, “My wife and I would always notice how much water is used in a washing machine, and thought of ways we could control the same.”

The workings of a young mind

Ayushman, a student of Class VII, was a careful observer of these conversations. Worried about the issue himself, he began thinking of ways in which the family could regulate their water usage. One such idea was of a washing machine that recycled soap water to be repurposed.

His innovation, called the System for Using Recycled Soap Water in Washing Machine and Method, was submitted to the Central government. For this, he earned an intellectual property right patent. “The idea was to make a machine where the soap water from the drain is processed and stored for reuse. I worked on it while I was still in Class III, and received the APJ Abdul Kalam Ignite Award in 2017 from the National Innovation Foundation (NIF),” Ayushman tells The Better India.

Samabesh says the family was unaware of what their son had been innovating till the award was announced. “Experts from NIF visit his school, KIIT International, every year to motivate students to submit innovate ideas and accept essay applications for the same. That is when Ayushman made two submissions, one for recycled water and another for a viper on a helmet to offer better visibility during rain,” he says.

An idea takes shape

Congratulated Ayushman Nayak of @KiiTIntSchool, son of Mr. @SamabeshNayak1 – AO of KSOM & Dr. Sucharita Pradhan, Senior Librarian, KIIT on receiving the patent for his invention – System for using Recycled Soap in Washing Machine & Method” from Intellectual Property, GOI. pic.twitter.com/j4B5jMyeFY
— Achyuta Samanta (@achyuta_samanta) March 26, 2021

During Ayushman’s visit to Gujarat for the award ceremony, he says he was amazed to see engineers develop a practical version of his idea, with five layers of filtration systems. “The engineers explained the function of each filter, and how they would work. It was intriguing to see how hundreds of litres of water could be reused, and how much freshwater would be saved,” Ayushman says.

He received the patent, which is valid for 20 years and is currently in his father’s name, in 2021. “I also received a lot of appreciation from my friends. As many as 69 students were receiving this award, and I felt proud to be one of them,” he tells The Better India.

Ayushman says he wants to continue thinking of innovative ideas to solve daily problems. “I want to be a mechanical engineer and find unique solutions to help the masses,” he adds.

Edited by Divya Sethu

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