“My septuagenarian grandfather always carries a walking stick with him for his morning walks. The stick did give him the support he needed; however, it also tired him out as it was heavy to lift. That’s when I thought of a walking stick that would enable easier mobility and be lightweight at the same time,” he says.
Akash had watched his grandfather use a walking stick, which while giving him the support to walk also inadvertently, tired him out. This prompted him to come up with his innovative walking stick equipped with a wheel fitted with a power-braking system. The device has an internal power-generating mechanism, which can also be used as a mobile charger. Besides, it also has an alarm, torch, and compass. It took Akash almost a year to formalize the concept and develop a working model. He had to spend an equal measure of time to develop its mechanical and electrical aspects, and then another four months to turn his idea into reality. The wheel makes the stick light to use and is useful not only to the elderly but also to people with physical disabilities. The alarm can be set off as an alert during an emergency.
“The entire cost of assembling the apparatus works out to ₹1500. So, the stick is high on functionality and also easy on the pocket.” – Akash
Adding feathers in his cap, Akash has won praise from the PMO and received an award from the Chief Minister of Haryana, and appreciation from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. He has also been selected for the first global edition of Ashoka Young Changemaker from India and is currently Incubated in Atal Incubation Center BIMTECH.
He is deeply committed to social and environmental welfare. Amongst his several plans for the future, he wishes to upskill women inmates in prison, offering them a means to take up meaningful employment. Also, he aims to adopt more than 500 temples and lakes to make them more environment-friendly, and thereby, reduce their carbon imprints.
According to Akash, “Age is just a number, be passionate and keep following your dreams.” Further, “Challenges are inevitable. At some point in time, every individual faces challenges in accomplishing their goals. I faced some too. My parents have been really supportive.”