AI Robot ‘G-SPIDER’ Deployed in Thiruvananthapuram for Canal Cleaning

Key facts

• The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has deployed G-SPIDER, an AI-powered robotic canal-cleaning system, under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0.
• G-SPIDER was developed by Genrobotic Innovations, a Technopark-based startup.
• The robot operates on Cable-Driven Parallel Robotics (CDPR) architecture and integrates AI-enabled vision systems and sensor intelligence.
• It uses a five-degrees-of-freedom robotic mechanism with a biomimetic claw-type grabber to extract mixed debris.
• The system enables fully automated waste detection, collection, and transfer into designated collection vehicles without human entry.
• The deployment site is the Amayizhanchan canal near Thampanoor Railway Station, identified as a high-risk drainage stretch.
• Kerala’s Minister for Local Self-Governments, Shri M. B. Rajesh, commissioned the robotic system to overcome operational challenges in the canal.
• The initiative aims to eliminate manual scavenging and reduce sanitation workers’ exposure to toxic gases, contaminated water, and hazardous waste.
• Regular robotic cleaning is expected to improve drainage efficiency and strengthen urban flood prevention measures.