Genrobotic Innovations, a premier award-winning Kerala-based start-up, which revolutionised cleaning of clogged drains and manholes with its robot named ‘Bandicoot’, has now come up with a more compact and affordable version of the robot christened ‘Bandicoot Mini’.
The newly launched product was on display along with its illustrious parent product at Kerala’s maiden Robotics Round Table organised by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation in association with the Department of Industries and Commerce in Kochi on August 23 (Friday).
“We have so far received an order for three ‘Bandicoot Mini’ from the Leh municipal committee. One has been dispatched and is already in use. The remaining two will be delivered shortly. They are of great use in Leh where the drains get frozen in extreme cold because of the increased desilting power of the bucket attached to them,” said Akhil Ajith, senior marketing manager, Genrobotic Innovations.
Compared to its parent product, ‘Bandicoot Mini’ is much more compact. Priced at ₹15 lakh, it is more affordable than ‘Bandicoot,’ which comes with a price tag of ₹45 lakh. The mini version is hence suitable for municipalities and village bodies.
‘Bandicoot Mini’ comes fitted with two lithium batteries with fast-charging option. It is also compatible with solar power, making it possible to deploy it for longer durations. With a minimum charging time of around 15 minutes, it could run for around three hours. With an energy mix of battery and solar, it could be deployed round-the-clock during which it could clean up to 15 to 20 drains or manholes.
The start-up has deployed 176 of its parent ‘Bandicoot’ robots across 19 States and three Union Territories in the last seven years. This includes one each at the disposal of the Kerala Water Authority in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Guruvayoor. More recently, Bandicoot was in news when it was deployed for cleaning up the highly polluted Amayizhanchan canal beneath the Thiruvananthapuram railway station where a sanitation worker went missing last month. The worker N. Joy was later found dead.
