In 2016, in a tragic incident in Kojikode, Kerala, he claimed the life of three men while cleaning the sewer. This catalysted a group of young engineers to reconsider the role of technology when working on historical cleaning, one of the most inhuman practices in India.
Bandiku
Rashid K, Arun George, Vimal Govind Mk, and Nikhil NP were already on the startup pass. We are working on EXOSKELETON Technology to develop robot engineering for wearable devices. The widely reported incident shakes them and faced them toward innovation to eliminate manual cleaning by Genrovetic Innovation registered in 2017.
“Until then, I didn’t even know what the manhole was. Our village had no manhole system and had only a septic tank. When I learned about this case, how deep the problem was. Rassid recalls.
Again, but hardware startups were resource -intensive, and four friends from middle class families had limited funds to develop robot innovation.
In 2017, they completed the course and were placed in top multinational companies, but the size, challenge, and complexity of the first problem remained in them. They approached the Keralala government and developed the first concept demonstration (POC), a wooden prototype that provides funds by the Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kerala.
Through KSUM, they also received the first round funds from Unicorn Venture Capital, and sophisticated prototypes in Bandicoot released by Prime Minister Kerala in 2018.
After the first feedback, Bandiku’s version 2.0 was released in the same year in front of Prime Minister Nalendra Modi and the United Nations Secretary -General Antonio Gutless.
What is Bandicoot? This is a completely functional robot that can imitate human behavior to clean the manhole. The robot’s four legs provide stability in the manhole, and the robot arm collects waste from all corners and guarantees thorough cleaning. The robot has a camera vision where the operator can see the inside of the manhole and a gas sensor that detects toxic gas.
Rashid states: “The existing machines such as sucking systems and glover were not able to handle solid waste and could not reach the manhole corner, so Bandicoot reproduces human behavior and cleans it efficiently. I will change it.
From manhole to machine hole
The Bandicoot was first deployed in Kerala and quickly spread to 19 states and three coalitions. “Today, 300 bandits are running 37 sites and cleaning over 6,000 manholes. Our goal is to all of the 5,000 Indian cities (ULB). Rashid proudly, saying that you are there.
Genrobotics’s mission was not only to replace humans with robots. That was to change the life of a hygienic worker.
Rashid says: “These workers are often alienated and discriminated against. We have two visions. End manual cleaning with a robot and rehabilitate hygienic workers as robot operators.”
To achieve this, a company based in Thiruvananthapuram has developed a simple user interface for Bandicoot in cooperation with Google, allowing even a broken individual to operate robots.
Rashid said, “We wanted to operate the robot for hygienic workers, which relates to not only technology, but also to the abandoned community.”
Genrobotics has so far trained in more than 3,000 hygienic workers through the cooperation of the Initia Chib and the National Safa Calam Charis Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC) of the Ministry of Social Justice , The role of more than 1,000 workers has changed. For robot operators. In addition, the team will conduct a workshop throughout India to educate workers on the dangers of manual cleaning and the advantages of robot engineering.
One of the deepest contributions of Genrobotics is the cultural changes they stimulated. “The term” manhole “says that the term” manhole “means that a man must enter. We wanted to challenge this way of thinking, so we first proposed a Robohole term. “
Last year, the Indian government officially adopted the term “mechanical hole”. This is an important milestone in changes in social perception. Rashid is “a small but powerful step to redefine hygiene work and how to look at the people involved.”
Innovation beyond Bandicoot
G -guitar
Bandicoot is dealing with manhole cleaning, but Genrobotics has also expanded its innovation to other important fields. Some of them are as follows:
Wilboar: The team has developed Wilboar to clean the wells of the sewage treatment plant (STP), which accumulates waste at a depth of 10 to 15 meters. Rashid explains as follows. “Oxygen deficiency and toxic gas make STP very dangerous for humans. Wilboar eliminates the need for human involvement in these dangerous environments.”
G-CROW application: G-CROW application monitors a manhole cleaning activity, tracks and guarantees the accountability to rationalize the operation. Rashid is “manages data such as frequency and location cleaning, helps ensure transparency and efficiency.”
G Gater: Custom -made G Gater supports patients with stroke, paratles, traumatic spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, accidents, and Parkinson’s disease.
The natural walking pattern of the robot’s AI drive will support a simple completion of 900 to 1,000 steps for patients in 20 to 45 minutes.
Rashid explains the function as follows: “For paralyzed patients, their brain has forgotten how to walk. G-Gaiter helps the brain to re-learn the process using a robot exoskerton in treadmills. Masu.”
The team has recently launched a Pediatric G-Gaiter child version for children with mobility problems. “Small children who are suffering from mobility are required to support them. Our children G -Gater is designed to give them a better chance,” says Rashid.
Assignment and milestone
Since its inception, Genrobotics has been AMRUT TECH CHALLENGE for “promising innovative solutions” for the invention of Bandicoot Robotic SC Avenger. How many AC Innovator Awards, etc. Won the famous award.
Like other startups, Genrobotics faces the share of the task. “I had a hard time raising funds at first, and there were no expansion offices or infrastructure. In each stage, I worked on a new problem, even if it was a skilled team to sell. “
He added that the support of investors like Anand Mahindra and partnerships with government agencies have helped to overcome these hurdles.
Genrobotics has received seed funds from Rajan Anandan, former president of Google. Funding from Anando Mahindra, Chairman of Series Hindra Group. And Series A financing -ZOHO CORP SRIDHAR VEMBU.
“In hardware startups, funding is important. It’s not like software that can be easily scaled. All steps require important resources. Apart from funds, Kanjikode has an office that is a manufactured unit in Kanjikode. After that, we focused on more money, which was a typical issue.
Since Bandicoot has already built waves, Genrobotics aims to expand its reach globally and deal with more imminent issues. Rashid assumes a future that humans do not need to expose their lives and dignity in hygiene work.
“We hope that Bandicoot and other innovations are part of India and all cities since then, not only technology, but also creates a world where dignity is basic. That’s it, “he says.
In Mahakamb, the world’s largest spiritual and religious gathering in Praparadaj in Uttar Pradesh, three Bandicut robots work 24 hours a day to maintain cleanliness.
“Maha Kumbu Mela is a sacred event that unite millions of people in religion and dedication. We can play a role in ensuring pilgrims’ safety and happiness. For us, this is more than technology and sacrifice to support this incredible gathering.
As Rashid properly concludes, “Technology is the key to solving some of the biggest tasks of mankind, but it really creates a difference. We are the intention behind it. The mission is to create a future that does not need to compromise their dignity and safety for their livelihood. “
