THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister M B Rajesh on Wednesday launched G-Spider, an AI-powered robotic canal cleaning system at the Amayizhanchan Canal near Railway Station premises at Thampanoor in the capital. Launched jointly by the city corporation and Technopark based start-up Genrobotic Innovations, it aims to phase out manual scavenging and ensure safety of sanitation workers.
G-Spider is designed to operate in complex and high-risk canal environments without requiring any human entry. Built on a Cable-Driven Parallel Robotics (CDPR) architecture integrated with AI-enabled visual and sensor intelligence, the system enables precise detection, assessment, and removal of accumulated waste.
It employs machine vision and intelligent sensors to autonomously detect and assess waste in real time. The system dynamically adapts to varying waste types, flow conditions and structural constraints within the canal.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh said Genrobotics has already set the example of how ideas can be transformed into impactful entrepreneurship. He said that the capital will get one of the seven CBG plants being planned across the state.
He said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Viijayan will inaugurate the `100 crore CBG plant at Brahmapuram on February 28. The work on the Palakkad plant will be completed in February while the work on another plant is under progress at Thrissur. He added that construction of four sanitary plants will be inaugurated next week.
Mayor V V Rajesh, who presided over the inaugural event, said that the corporation will leverage tech-based solutions for waste management.
Vimal Govind M K, CEO and co-founder of Genrobotic Innovations, said through G-Spider, Genrobotics aims to protect lives by eliminating the need for humans to enter extremely hazardous environments for cleaning. “This initiative represents a significant shift towards establishing a safer and more efficient waste management process by leveraging advanced technology in urban sanitation,” he added.
The new system addresses an extremely challenging and high-risk stretch beneath the Central Railway Station, where limited access, low vertical clearance, continuous water flow, and the absence of safe entry points make conventional cleaning methods impractical and dangerous.
The project was conceptualised during the previous term of the LDF-led council following the tragic death of sanitation worker Joy last year.