How an Ironman suit inspired Genrobotics to create tech products with a human impact

Genrobotics was founded in 2017, by engineering batchmates Nikhil NP, Arun George, Vimal Govind and K. Rashid.

Note to readers: Humans of Tech is Moneycontrol’s new series that intends to showcase the people behind the technology and research scene in India. The column is designed to give the readers a ringside view of all the exciting tech advancements being carried out in India’s high-end labs and start-up garages, while also delving into what makes these technologists tick.

As a mechanical engineering student who loved sci-fi Hollywood flicks, Vimal Govind loved creating tactile exoskeletons that would resemble Ironman suits. His father was in the army, so his thoughts were around developing armor that would protect defence personnel during combat. There was some interest from the construction industry for these exoskeletons but there were no purchase orders coming in. Finally, the uncertainty around the project put paid to further aspirations. The project was thus shelved but the passion for developing something innovative in the robotics arena endured.

In 2016, Vimal came across a news item about two men who died while trying to clean sewers in a town in Kerala. During a chance meeting with one of the government officials of the state, a question came up about the possibility of developing an engineering solution for the crisis. That’s how Genrobotics was born in 2017, with Vimal joining hands with engineering batchmates Rashid, Nikhil and Arun.

The Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered company has since grown into a unit that specializes in the design and development of robotic-powered exoskeletons and human-controlled robotic systems. Its product Bandicoot is widely regarded as the world’s first robotic scavenger that is engineered to eliminate human intervention in the cleaning of sewers. It has also developed G Gaiter, a robotic gait rehabilitator that is designed to support the rehabilitation of patients with paraplegia and other gait disabilities.

The company is backed by Unicorn India Ventures, Anand Mahindra and Rajan Anandan, who have come in as angel investors, and recently Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu pumped in Rs 20 crore to drive the company forward. The company ended financial year 2021 with a profit of Rs 3.71 crore, when most start-ups are struggling to break even.

Let’s look at the technology behind these two products – Bandicoot and G Gaiter – to understand the societal impact they have created.

Bandicoot

Bandicoot is an advanced robotic scavenger. Priced at Rs 40 lakh, each Bandicoot is equipped with an expandable robotic arm with a multipurpose end-effector that can do the shoveling and picking-up of the wastes inside a sewer. It has four robotic legs with wheels for self-stability inside manholes, has a bucket system and gas sensors for detection of methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

It has four IP68 (water-resistant) cameras, with one camera on what’s called the stand unit for monitoring entry and exit of the robot, in and out of the sewer, and three cameras on the robotic unit which goes inside the manhole.

Bandicoot can dive into depths of at least 8 metres, lift up to 125kg per cycle and can deal with hard rocks, sand, silt, sludge and other non-biodegradable wastes. At least 90 percent of the actuators of the robot use pneumatic power. The robot has a 13.3-inch full HD display and 10.1-inch interactive touch screen and also switches for the user interface to operate the robot. It also has a built-in tutorial software to learn the operations of the robot.

“Bandicoot is the integration of our own patented robotic technology and artificial intelligence to mimic the actions of a human being inside the manholes. The robot consists of two major units, a stand unit and a robotic drone unit. The drone unit dives into the manholes for cleaning and unblocking operations. It can do every action a human can perform inside the manhole more efficiently and effectively than a human by using the most advanced robotics and AI technology,” says Vimal, who is also the CEO of the firm.

According to Genrobotics, there are around 300 Bandicoots, put into service by municipal corporations, smart cities, and municipalities, across 17 states and Union territories currently.

G Gaiter

G Gaiter is a robotic gait rehabilitator designed to increase the quality and repetitions of gait patterns. Designed to enhance movements that help to support the rehabilitation of patients with paraplegia and other gait disabilities. It is equipped with G Plot, a pneumatic leg orthosis technology, that possesses the most natural human gait pattern that aids in the recovery of patients through a faster and more effective rehabilitation.

G Gaiter is a combination of pneumatic actuators working on AI-powered algorithms which increase the intensity and repetition of accurate physiological gait patterns for faster rehabilitation. Based on the patient’s height, weight and age, the algorithms create a natural gait, which is necessary for improving the rehabilitation timelines.

Its inbuilt weight balance system and therapy modes – patient effort mode, gaiter active mode and gaiter assist mode – enable gait improvement and progression in muscle strengthening. Its integrated VR platform helps to maintain the patient’s involvement and participation during the training session. It helps to create mental simulations in patients that are important for effective rehabilitation. The monitoring of the effort is carried out by sensors in real time.

“G Gaiter’s functioning is based on the basic theory of gait training that involves motor relearning. The AI-powered natural gait learning helps the patients in easily achieving 900-1,000 steps in 20-45 minutes, whereas with the conventional method of gait training it is difficult to achieve even 100 steps,” says Vimal.

Its clinical trials complete, the G Gaiter is awaiting FDA approval. At Rs1.9 crore apiece, it is priced lower than the competition (roughly Rs3 crore).

What next?

The Adani Group has chosen Genrobotics for a fellowship that would help accelerate its mission to phase out manual scavenging. Bandicoot is set to be deployed in seaports, airports and other townships under the Adani Group. Bandicoot is presently deployed in 17 states in India and three Union territories.

“We are comfortable about scaling from India as we believe sanitation solutions are something that we can build from India for the world,” says Vimal.

The company is now looking to bring all its research and development under the parent brand Genrobotics Innovation. While G Gaiter is managed under the Genrobotics Medical & Mobility subsidiary, Bandicoot will now be placed under a new cleantech subsidiary.