Indian Institute of Technology Madras has developed a robot called to clean septic tanks and eliminate manual scavenging in India. It is all set to be deployed in field.
A total of ten robots are planned to be deployed across Nadu.
Researchers are in touch with sanitation workers for identifying locations.
Some locations in Maharashtra and Gujarat are also being considered.
HomoSEP robot has been developed by a team led by Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal from IIT Madras, in association with IIT Madras-incubated start-up Solinas Integrity Private Limited. It is also supported by Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) NGO, which is dedicated towards eliminating manual scavenging in India.
HomoSEP Robot homogenizes the hard sludge in septic tanks by using custom-developed rotary blade mechanism and then pumps the tank slurry by an integrated suction mechanism. Sanitation workers can operate the robot on their own with relevant training and appropriate guidance.