step-less transmission systems that can be incorporated into existing tractors and harvesters, eliminating the need for gears and gear boxes in the power train. a simple arrangement of two variable diameter pulleys connected by one angular contact vari-speed elastomer belt can be attached to the drive shaft, the pulleys being actuated by stepper motors and/or clutch-based hydraulic control systems.

this changeover could result in major savings in fuel by running the engine at its efficient speed and driving at any desired speed through stepless variations. also, major savings in weight can result from this implementation. this idea and its accompanying prototype developed in sri venkateswara college of engineering (www.svce.ac.in) was awarded as young innovator by villgro foundations (www.villgro.org) and iit madras (www.iit.ac.in). it was also sponsored for an exhibition at open minds 2011, organized by nciia (http://nciia.org/openminds/2011)