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PS 26118HARDWAREMiscellaneousHidden GemFast Prototype (36h)

Passive Colorimetric H2S Exposure-Dosimeter Wristband with AI-Based Quantitative Reading

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL)Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL)
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30-Second Plain English Summary

Refinery workers at MRPL face chronic low-level Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) toxic gas exposure (1-10 ppm) that causes neurological damage over time, which standard electronic gas detectors miss because they only sound alarms at acute emergency thresholds (>10 ppm) and require batteries. Build a Passive Colorimetric H2S Exposure-Dosimeter Wristband and AI-Based Quantitative Smartphone Reader that continuously accumulates chemical exposure on a metal-salt colorimetric film and uses smartphone camera computer vision with color calibration to calculate exact cumulative time-weighted average (TWA) dosage.

5-Dimension Strategic ScorecardOverall Score: 3.9 / 5.0
Innovation
4 / 5
36h Feasibility
4.1 / 5
Uniqueness
3.7 / 5
Jury Appeal
4 / 5
Tech Depth
3.6 / 5
Recommended System Architecture Pipeline
Colorimetric Wristband + Calibration Ring -> Smartphone Camera Image -> CIELAB Color Normalization & Delta-E Model -> Cumulative TWA Gas Calculator -> MRPL Industrial Hygiene Portal
Hardware Bill of Materials (BOM) & Cost BreakdownEstimated component unit economics in Indian Rupee (INR)
Prototype Unit Cost:1,660
ComponentSpecificationQtyEst. Cost
Replaceable Colorimetric H2S Chemical Reaction Strip ReceptacleLead acetate / bismuth impregnated paper pad that darkens proportionally upon H2S gas exposure1150
TCS34725 Precision RGB Color Spectrum SensorI2C optical reader with integrated white LED for measuring exact dosimeter darkening delta1480
ESP32-C3 Ultra-Low-Power RISC-V MicrocontrollerRuns TinyML optical colorimetric quantification algorithm and manages BLE beaconing1280
Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) Vibration Motor & Piezo BuzzerProvides immediate haptic buzz and 85dB acoustic warning upon reaching threshold dose1180
3.7V 300mAh Li-Po Cell with USB-C Charging ICLow-profile rechargeable battery providing 72-hour continuous shift monitoring1220
Chemical-Resistant Silicone Wristband Housing with Gas Diffusion SlitsComfortable wearable strap allowing ambient air diffusion across test strip1350
Power Input: 3.7V DC Rechargeable Li-Po (3-Day Runtime)
Form Factor: Compact 42x32mm Silicone Wearable Wristband
Architecture & Prototyping Strategy: Two-tier presentation strategy: (1) Hackathon MVP (~₹800–₹1.2k) with breadboard TCS34725 color sensor + paper test strip + ESP32 BLE app; (2) Industrial Wearable Wristband (~₹1.66k) with custom molded silicone band, integrated diffusion membrane, haptic motor, and 72-hour rechargeable Li-Po cell.
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Official Government Problem Description
• Background Workers in oil and gas operations face chronic low-level H2S exposure. Standard electronic gas detectors miss this risk because they only report instantaneous ppm, and they need batteries, calibration and upkeep. Passive colorimetric badges already exist, usually lead-acetate based, but they only give a rough visual read, exposed past threshold or not, judged by eye. There's no way to know the actual cumulative dose, concentration multiplied by time, and no way to confirm the badge itself hasn't already expired or degraded before it's worn. India has no low-cost, indigenous, digitally-read passive dosimeter for this. Peak-exposure alarms are not what protects long-term health. Cumulative dose is. • Description The idea is a disposable wristband with an indigenously formulated chemical strip that darkens progressively and permanently with cumulative H2S exposure, not just past one threshold. The strip sits next to a printed reference color scale, and separately, a second patch that shows the badge's own shelf life. Something a worker or safety officer can glance at before a shift to confirm the badge itself is still valid. A phone app does the reading. Photograph the strip next to the reference scale, and the app corrects for whatever lighting the photo was taken in by calibrating against that reference. It converts the color into an estimated cumulative exposure figure and logs it against worker ID and shift, for occupational health records and DGMS or OISD style reporting. The dose figure should be presented as an estimate, since colorimetric reactions don't scale perfectly linearly at very low concentrations or over long durations. Temperature and humidity affect reaction speed too, so the strip design needs to account for that, either through a sealed reference cell or a compensation method in the app. • Expected Solution A working wristband prototype, chemical strip plus a separate expiry indicator, along with a phone app that reads and quantifies exposure from a photograph. Tested against a controlled, lab-simulated H2S exposure at known concentration and duration, with a stated and validated shelf life, 30 or 90 days for example, and a dose estimate that tracks reasonably close to the known simulated exposure.
AI & PPT Citation Format

Smart India Hackathon 2026 Problem Statement PS-26118: "Passive Colorimetric H2S Exposure-Dosimeter Wristband with AI-Based Quantitative Reading", Ministry: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). Strategy & Architecture via SIH ONE (https://sihone.pages.dev/ps/26118)

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