In a bid to enhance efficiency and safety in sewer maintenance, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has introduced three Bandicoot Robots to clear debris from sewers across the city. These innovative robots, mounted on a specialized vehicle, are currently undergoing operational trials in various areas of Chennai.
After the testing on a pilot basis, the robots will be deployed in 15 different areas in Chennai.
"We used to clean the sewage tanks manually which could lead to death of labourers due to presence of poisonous gases. Now, the government has given us these Bandicoot Robots. These are equipped with 4 cameras capable to rotate 90 degrees. These robots can clean the sewer until 13-meter deep," said a robot operator Kartik.
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Last year, Genrobotics, the Kerala-originated startup behind Bandicoot, expanded its reach beyond its home state, securing orders to supply Bandicoots to 18 additional states in India. Moreover, they have commenced exporting the robot to various countries, with Malaysia among them.
In 2017, Govind, Arun George, and Nikhil N.P., the founders of Genrobotics, initiated discussions on developing a robot capable of cleaning manholes. Supported by funding from the state government’s Kerala Startup Mission, the team established Bandicoot, as per a report on The Wire.
On the innovation, Bezwada Wilson, founder of Safai Karmachari Andolan said that Bandicoot could only prevent people from entering manholes but it was not the solution to eliminate manual scavenging.
