By From higher education institutions to promising startups to established firms, cutting edge products, models and a string of intelligent robots lit up an exhibition at the landmark Robotics Round Table in the city today.
Displays by ten engineering colleges and 31 companies earned the attention of curious visitors at the day-long event organised by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) under the aegis of the Department of Industries and Commerce.
In fact, Minister for Industries, Law and Coir Shri P Rajeeve, who entered the venue at the Grand Hyatt in Bolgatty Island, was greeted by two robotic pets. While these dog-shaped machines were made by Unique World Robotics, the Minister, at the dais later to inaugurate the roundtable, was handed over the remote control by humanoid Saya of Asimov Robotics.
“What we see in Kerala is a rising application of robotics in socially beneficial endeavours. This implies their stronger use in the coming years,” he said at the opening session.
The exhibition, on the sidelines of the main hall, highlighted the richness and robustness of Kerala’s robotics sector. Companies, including GenRobotics Innovations, Sastra Robotics, IROV and Nava Technologies, besides Asimov and ten engineering colleges, showcased their products.
Saintgits College of Engineering from Kottayam displayed a robotic chef, while an underwater drone was the product from the students of Christ College at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district. Trinity Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram came up with a robotics gadget meant to ameliorate knee-pain, while Barton Hill Engineering College from the same city put on display a robot facilitating talk through hand gestures.
A humanoid by UKF Engineering College, a rover that can move on the surface of the moon (Muthoot Institute of Technology) and a heavy-duty drone (Adi Sankara Institute of Technology, Kalady) stood out for their innovative spirit and technological finesse. Mar Baselios Engineering College, also from the state capital, put on display a robot-building kit for children, while Providence Engineering College, Chengannur, came up with a robotic handle for industrial purposes.
Educational robot companies, with the motto ‘Knowledge Through Robots’, invited the attention of children from the age of eight in ways that earn them proficiency in the field.
Particularly interesting were the robot-building kits by Inker, Unique World, Uniboutiques and GENXMY. Astrek Health Tech showcased a robotic suite that helps bedridden patients stand up without aid, and perform physiotherapy-like exercises. Also on display is Bendita Bionics’s robotic prosthetic arm that works by recognizing muscle movements.
The other companies with their innovative products were IROV (which won DRDO’s underwater drone contract), Corr Robotics, Livebiotics, an unmanned surveillance boat for the defence sector, and iHub, an automatic military vehicle.
Fuselage Innovations and Travancore Aviation’s drone, which is revolutionizing the field of agriculture, also won attention. Nava Technologies stood out with its coconut-harvesting equipment. Flow Mobility, ALR Bots and Terobotics also attracted interest with multi-purpose surface vehicles.
Gesture-mimicking with a robotic arm for industrial use, Space Time with 4D Printing and RoboAd that can be used in supermarkets for product promotion put up signs of the future in the field.
The Round Table, after the inaugural ceremony, featured three rounds led by ten experts from various parts of the world leading discussions on what Kerala can expect on becoming a hub for robotics technology. A total 195 startups attended the event, which had more than 400 delegates.
