Hyderabad student develops satellite receiver for Himalayan villages
The device, named SummitSathi, can download weather images without an internet connection or mobile network.
Aagam Jain, a Class 12 student from Hyderabad, has developed a satellite-based weather receiver called SummitSathi that functions without internet or mobile connectivity, according to The Times of India.
The device can download cloud images directly from passing weather satellites. This allows communities to access satellite imagery even when communication networks are disrupted by heavy rainfall or mountainous terrain.
Three units of the receiver are planned for deployment across 10 villages in the Seraj Valley of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh. The project includes training three local operators to use the equipment.
Each SummitSathi unit costs approximately Rs 68,000 to build using available components. The team clarified that the device is an extra source of weather information and is not intended to replace official emergency alerts or predict cloudbursts.
Jain, a student at Indus International School, has also conducted research into urban light pollution and self-published an astrophotography book titled A Window to the Universe.