AI-powered G-SPIDER automated canal-cleaning robot

In a significant step toward safer and technology-driven sanitation, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has deployed an AI-powered G-SPIDER automated canal-cleaning robot under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0. The robotic system has been introduced at the Amayizhanchan Canal near the railway station premises in Thampanoor, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The initiative aims to eliminate manual scavenging and enhance the safety of sanitation workers, particularly in high-risk and inaccessible drainage and canal systems.

The project is a collaborative effort between the municipal corporation and Genrobotic Innovations, a Technopark-based robotics firm known for developing the robotic scavenger Bandicoot.

Key Features of the G-SPIDER Robot

The G-SPIDER Automated Canal Cleaning Robot, developed by Genrobotic Innovations, is designed to function in complex and hazardous canal environments without requiring human entry.

• Cable-Driven Parallel Robotics (CDPR) Architecture: Enables stable operation across wide canal spans.
• AI-Enabled Vision and Sensors: Detects and evaluates accumulated waste in real time.
• Machine Vision Technology: Automatically identifies different waste types and adapts to varying flow conditions and structural challenges.
• Five Degrees of Freedom Mechanism: Provides flexible and precise movement.
• Biomimetic Claw-Type Grabber: Ensures secure handling and removal of mixed and irregular debris.

End-to-End Automated Cleaning

The robot extracts waste and transfers it directly to designated collection vehicles, ensuring a completely hands-free canal cleaning process—from detection to safe disposal.

Officials described the initiative as a groundbreaking step in urban waste management, significantly improving operational efficiency, worker safety, and environmental sanitation while advancing the goal of ending hazardous manual cleaning practices in urban infrastructure.

Source: PIB