Researchers at NIT Srinagar have patented a system that adds AI and IoT sensors to Kashmir’s traditional ‘hamam,’ the wood-fired underfloor heating method that has kept homes warm through the Valley’s winters for centuries.
The conventional hamam works by burning wood in a furnace beneath stone floor slabs. The stones absorb and radiate heat, warming the room above. It is effective but labour-intensive — someone has to tend the fire, manage fuel and maintain the furnace manually. The system has been a fixture of Kashmiri homes and mosques since the Mughal era, when heated spaces were built into gardens and palaces. Over time, it moved into residential buildings, driven by affordability and the cultural practice of gathering together during harsh winters.
The patented design, developed by researchers from NIT Srinagar’s Department of Information Technology and Engineering, uses IoT-enabled sensors to monitor temperature, humidity and wind speed. An AI module processes these readings to estimate fuel needs and regulate supply. The system also automates fuel feeding, ignition and ash removal — the tasks that currently require constant human attention.
The concept is straightforward: keep the hamam’s core heating principle intact but remove the manual overhead. Whether it actually delivers measurable savings on fuel, cost or emissions is still unproven. The published material does not include comparative performance data, so claims of improved efficiency remain theoretical for now.
What makes this notable is the approach itself. Instead of replacing a traditional system with a modern one, the research tries to upgrade what already exists. For a region where the hamam remains a practical heating solution, not just a cultural artefact, that distinction matters.
Source: Deccan Herald
