American multinational software company, Autodesk, organizes and hosts an annual gathering of designers, creators and makers, known as Autodesk University.

The 2019 edition of Autodesk University India was held at the Hotel Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru, on 5th September 2019 attended by over 1500 people from the world of design, manufacturing and academia.

Providence student Aayush Nair's Solaster multi-purpose solar lamp was chosen to be showcased at this prestigious gathering.

The idea for the Solaster lamp was born from the crisis that engulfed the state of Kerala in 2018 when floods ravaged the state and left hundreds of thousands of people stranded and homeless without access to electricity and communication.

[soliloquy id="16412"]

During the floods, Aayush, like thousands of other people, spent days in relief camps and was a firsthand witness of the devastation and ensuing challenges.

The circumstances inspired him to devise a product that would fulfill some of the basic needs for such crisis-ridden situations - light and power.

Under the supervision and guidance of professor Jobin Joy of the department of Mechanical Engineering, Aayush used Autodesk Fusion to design and build a working prototype of a multi-purpose lamp that would provide light and power for emergency situations.