Are robot street cleaners really possible?

The so-called "manhole", as the name suggests, is a hole opened in the processing system to allow workers to enter for cleaning, maintenance and inspection. However, this name may soon become inappropriate, because in the context of increasing mechanization, robots will eventually take on the work of manhole cleaning and inspection.

For a long time, the blockage of drainage facilities has been a major problem in front of people. We have no other way but to clear it manually. However, this work will inevitably expose the workers to toxic and extremely unsanitary conditions, and labor health problems will follow. Under the blow of fatigue, pneumonia, cardiovascular disease and infection, the workers' body and mind are greatly damaged, and if they inhale toxic gases, they will take their lives. According to the human rights organization Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), there have been as many as 1,560 deaths related to manhole cleaning and dredging in India since 1993. However, all this is expected to change, and this hope comes from a startup company and a sophisticated robot it has built.

In 2017, a team of college students founded Genrobotics Innovations, which initially focused on developing exoskeleton products to enhance workers' ability to perform heavy tasks. Later, the team noticed the plight of dredge workers and began to delve into this field to find solutions, eventually designing a robot called "Bandicoot" (below), which works just as its name suggests.

Genrobotics Innovations' new version of the robot street cleaner product Bandicoot 2.0 (Source: Genrobotics Innovations)

Bandicoot is a marsupial that digs and forages for food. When the Bandicoot robot performs its task, it first lifts the heavy manhole cover with the help of a powerful electromagnet, then reduces its diameter to enter the manhole, and uses its limbs to firmly hold the inner wall after entering the manhole to the appropriate depth. The robot is equipped with wheels at the end of its limbs, which can easily move up and down in the manhole. Once it reaches the blockage, Bandicoot can use its robotic arm to work. The end of the robotic arm has a three-in-one universal operating device that can perform picking and shoveling operations to remove sludge that blocks drainage facilities. It can also be equipped with tools such as sewer ejectors usually operated by workers, and can also perform "tactile" inspections on the inner walls of the manhole.

Bandicoot 2.0 is a new version of the robot that has both automatic and manual working modes. In automatic mode, the robot moves through the drainage facility and clears blockages on its own, using information provided by its seven machine vision cameras. For manholes with non-standard structures or sizes, the robot can be maneuvered in the facility in manual mode. Bandicoot's manual mode has a simple and clear user interface, allowing workers to get started with very simple training and regain a safe and dignified lifestyle. The robot is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and covered with a 4-level nano coating to ensure its structural integrity and corrosion resistance. In addition, Genrobotics Innovations has developed a manhole monitoring system, a prevention mechanism achieved through the global positioning system (GPS) and sensors, which immediately alerts the responsible authorities if a manhole is likely to flood due to blockage.

Genrobotics Innovations’ ultimate mission is to transform a manhole into a robohole. The company’s ingenious solution was quickly adopted by government departments in several Indian states, making the startup a huge success and gaining wide acclaim, winning numerous awards and honors from various entities in its first year of business. Genrobotics Innovations was also among the first batch of startups selected by Google Launchpad India Accelerator 2018, and received guidance from MIT mentors.