KATHMANDU, Sept 6: As monkeys are a big headache for farmers in hills right across the country, the National Innovation Center (NIC) has come up with a monkey chasing machine.

The machine is only one of various devices that the center has been developing of late.

Monkey terror has become widespread. Large numbers of the simians have started intruding even in human settlements that never saw a single monkey in the past.

It is against this backdrop that the innovation center, which was set up by Magsaysay laureate Mahabir Pun, has developed the monkey chaser.

The monkeys have become such a plague in Khotang district that a team of professional monkey handlers were called in from across the border in Uttar Pradesh, the Indian state that is no stranger to monkeys good and bad .

Several organizations have been formed in the rural areas of Nepal to keep monkeydom at bay.

“The monkey chasing machine developed by NIC first detects the presence of any monkeys in the vicinity. It then erupts into lights and sounds that scare the monkeys away,” said Sunil Baniya, innovation manager at the center.

The sounds emitted at volume by the machine mimic gunfire and the shouting of angry humans .

The innovation center has yet to put a price on the machine but Baniya says it will be affordable. It has also not been tested in the field yet but the results of indoor tests were said to be encouraging.

NIC's mission is to foster a Research and Development (R&D) culture in Nepal and nurture innovation-based ecosystems and boost socio-economic development.

Another devise that NIC is working on is a Reverse Vending Machine. The RVM takes in plastic bottles for forwarding to a recycling plant,” said Ritesh Dev, research engineer and product developer at the innovation center.

Dev said the RVM is a first . It will be placed at Nepal Connection Restaurant , which is located in Thamel and owned by NIC Chairman Pun.

“Individuals who insert plastic bottles in the RVM will get rewards such as discount coupons for the restaurant,” said Dev. “If there is a positive response from the public other such machines will be installed,” he added. A recycling plant is concurrently under development.

“We have also developed a smart education system and deployed it in different schools in rural areas,” said Baniya, the innovation manager. Smart education system is a computer-based system in which the school curriculum is incorporated.

“Encyclopedias, dictionaries and video collections are available in the system and currently students of Grades 1 to Grade 10 have access to it,” he added.

Another NIC offering will be a Sel-Roti maker. Abhishek Raj Nakarmi and Krishna Nandadev are working on it .

“The output of this machine will be 45 sel-rotis per minute,” said Nakarmi adding. “Our goal is to launch the product in time for Dashain and Tihar when the demand for sel-roti is high.”

NIC is also developing a 10 to 15 megawatt hydro power station as a major stakeholder. The power generated will be sold to the government .

“Anyone with a good idea should come to us. We can work on it together,” said Baniya.

 
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