India: Professor invents multipurpose 'Fureboat'

Trichy, Tamil Nadu: A professor of the National Institute of Technology, Trichy has designed a multipurpose furniture called "Fureboat", which can be used as a life-saving boat to save lives and valuables during floods.

This particular invention can be used as normal furniture like a cot, almirah and dining table, too.

Dr Muthukumaran, who invented the 'Fureboat' said: "It can be used in multi-dimensional areas and places, like in case of floods. It can be used to evacuate people from hospitals. It can also be used as a tool to shift animals, especially in a crisis. So this is a very interesting product which is going to help society by in a larger environment which creates very good handling. It makes everybody to handle everything in a better way. It is a very easy mode of commute. It can be used easily."

Director of NIT Tiruchirappalli Dr Akila said that the demonstration of the boat has been performed as well as its patent has been filed.

Polymer matrix with glass fibre

"One of our professors Dr Muthukumaran has done research of the materials used to design the furniture piece, which can be used as furniture on regular days and, in emergency conditions like floods, it can be used as a boat. That has already been demonstrated and that has been patented," Dr Akila said.

The multipurpose furniture is made of a polymer matrix with glass fibre or any lightweight materials. Bamboo along with steel was used as reinforcements/ frames to provide strength. A pair of oars is fixed at the bottom of the furniture.

"If you take this particular furniture on regular days it can be used as a table but during emergency conditions like a flood, currently, Chennai is also experiencing floods, during that time it can be used as a boat by flipping it," she added.