Kerala adopts AI for waste management: Robotic system to clean Thiruvananthapuram canal

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation is introducing an artificial intelligence-based robotic system to remove accumulated waste from the Amayizhanjan canal.

The initiative, developed in collaboration with private firm Genrobotics, aims to eliminate the need for manual waste collection from the canal. Construction work for the project has already begun.

As part of the setup, four pillars will be installed along the canal, connected by steel cables. At the intersection point of these cables, a robotic device will be mounted to collect waste. Equipped with cameras and sensors, the robot will detect garbage floating in the canal and automatically move to collect it based on the flow of water and waste accumulation.

The system can identify the volume and type of waste entering the canal and has a dedicated storage unit to collect the debris. A display board will show real-time data on the amount of waste removed each day.

The total project cost is ₹50 lakh, and the corporation aims to make the system operational by mid-next month. It will first be implemented on a trial basis for one month, and if successful, similar systems will be introduced in other canals across the city.

The construction is being carried out with special permission from the Railways, as parts of the canal pass close to the railway line. While Genrobotics is responsible for building the AI-powered robot, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will handle its operation and maintenance.

Officials said the idea for the project emerged after a tragic incident on July 14 last year, when a sanitation worker drowned in the canal during a cleaning operation.

Previously, around 172 tonnes of silt and waste were removed from the canal.