Counting footsteps to save lives

Millions of Hindu pilgrims visit the Indian city of Nashik for the Kumbh Mela festival. Held once every twelve years the festival poses a major logisitical challenge to authorities. A 15-year-old tech developer has come up with a solution – a smart doormat placed at the exit of a temple to count each footstep, estimating crowd numbers and relaying data back to officials. It consists of strips of sensors set inside a thick plastic sheet, encased within a rubber mat and powered by an external charger.

Nilay Kulkarni, is one member of the team who invented the step tracker or Ashioto, meaning ‘footsteps’ in Japanese.

“I have an interest in technology. I wanted to do something which is useful for the people. Developing a game is not useful for them. It’s better if we do something which will help them or assist them, that’s why I do it.”

Twelve years ago dozens of people died or were injured during a stampede at the festival. The step tracker is just one way the authorities can stay o