Ironing vendors are a common sight in the roads of India. They press their customers' clothing items using irons heated with charcoal, which release carbon dioxide and contribute to air pollution.

Vinisha Umashankar, a 14-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu has found a brilliant way to get around this problem - by inventing a solar ironing cart, reported Hindustan Times.

"The big 'problem' I am trying to solve is to eliminate the practise of burning charcoal to heat an iron box for pressing clothes by the vendors. My innovation, the solar ironing cart, will save trees, reduce air pollution, protect the environment and help stop climate change," she tweeted recently.

For her invention, Vinisha has been nominated for this year's Earthshot Prize, scheduled to be held in London on Oct 17. The award was founded by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, in 2019, to recognize people who do their part in helping the degrading ecosystem move in a more sustainable path.

The cart is capable of running for six hours straight with five hours of sunlight. There is also a phone charging dock on top of the cart, which meets 13 of the 15 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations.

In the long term, Vinisha plans to mass produce the cart and sell it for a reasonable price in Asia, Africa and other countries in the region where there is year-long sunshine.

Kudos to Vinisha for her social awareness in her young age. Here's hoping that she will win the upcoming award, and create more useful inventions in the future.


Source: Hindustan Times
Photo source: thetimesco.uk