Rescue kit for floods

Floods are annual natural calamities and second most
fatal natural disaster in India after earthquakes. Each year,
hundreds of people die because of floods. Most of the people are
killed because they were not prepared for such type of a disaster
and because help was not available on time.
This project deals with the design of a lightweight,
portable kit for an individual, which floats on water and can be
used for self-rescue from floods. This kit is primarily a personal
flotation device which will keep person floating and alive until
they get help. This kit will also provide possibilities of self-deployment, giving a signal to the rescuers, rain protection,
anchoring possibilities, etc. Kit can be owned by the people or
can be distributed by the government as a lifesaving aid. This
The project focused on strengthening rescue and relief operations in
India by providing an opportunity for new product development,
catering to human needs at vital conditions.
This project began by understanding the critical human
needs by studying the Indian flood scenarios. Using the iterative
The design process, several options were explored using both
buoyant and inflatable materials.
In a scenario like Kashmir flood (July 2014) where the flash flood
caused immense loss of life as help could not reach on time.
There were difficulties in locating people for rescuers due to
landslides, navigation issues and many more problems. Use of
this kit will provide timely, secure, safe and self-rescue
opportunities.