Anti-glare system in vehicles to hit Kerala market

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anti-glare system in vehicles for night driving meant to reduce accidents will hit the market in three weeks. It is one of the five path-breaking innovations of Kerala born KU Varunny who is the first Indian to get a patent in vehicle transmission system in the US. He has also recently won the National Intellectual Property (NIP) award-2013 for patents in machine design.
Neither age nor financial hassles had deterred him from his innovative spirit. At 78, Varunny's inventions speak more than his words. The credit for press start automatic drive of your scooter goes to Japan's Honda that hit the market in 1985, though much before that it was the patented invention of K U Varunny in 1972.

"I invented automatic press start drive in 1972 and got the Indian patent, but could not afford the cost of patent renewal then and lost it. Nobody in India was interested and none could comprehend it. It is the same innovation that Japan's Honda launched for its scooters in 1985," Varunny says.

Anti-glare system in vehicles for night driving utilizes a special shade made of imported polarized film which is installed near the wind screen in front of the driver on the right side. It totally eliminates glare and does not come in the vision line and when not required the shade can be flipped back, he says. It is already installed in the Kerala State Transport superfast buses plying between Thrissur and Bangalore, he said. "A private firm partnered by two individuals Unnikrishnan and Sree Kumar in Kottayam have come forward for the commercial launch of this innovation and this anti-glare system will hit Kerala market in about three weeks," Varunny said.

Among his 12 inventions of which four have obtained Indian patent and one a US patent, Varunny rates high his `Smart Vehicle Variable Gear Transmission System controlled by Microprocessors' that received the US patent. "In the present vehicles there are only 4 or 5 gear ratios, and the vehicle has to pick up the one closer to the load condition, but not the exact one because the vehicle has only 4 or 5 gear ratios. Now, in this smart vehicle with variable gear transmission it automatically picks up the exact gear ratio to suit to the load condition adjusting when climbing up a hill without causing much friction," he explains. The system results in good saving in fuel and less wear and tear, he adds.
Now he is wary of losing the US patent for this invention too. "I had applied for an individual US patent for my invention and had to pay Rs 3 lakh for that. If it is through an attorney it would cost about Rs 7 lakh. Now for renewal of patent every four years, I will have to pay another half a lakh and if I fail to renew, I will forfeit my patent right," he says.

He has spent almost all his savings working on his inventions. "But I could still manage because I was the only son of a real estate builder," he says. A native of Thrissur, Varunny''s wife Shantha Maney is a writer. They have a son, two daughters and two grandchildren who have either opted for professions in IT or management. "My children and grandchildren are not very keen on scientific pursuits as it involves a lot of struggle amidst uncertainties," he quips.

Source: http://to.ly/me75