Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has deployed an AI-powered G-SPIDER robotic system for canal cleaning at the Amayizhanchan canal near the railway station premises at Thampanoor under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.
The deployment targets one of the most difficult stretches of the canal network in the city.
The covered portion beneath Thampanoor Railway Station has restricted vertical clearance, continuous water flow, confined working conditions and no safe entry points for workers, making routine cleaning difficult through conventional methods.
The system was commissioned by Kerala Local Self-Governments Minister M B Rajesh.
It has been introduced through a collaboration between the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation and Technopark-based Genrobotic Innovations, the company known for developing the robotic scavenger Bandicoot.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the G-SPIDER robot has been built to carry out precise, human-free canal cleaning in high-risk environments.
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The machine is based on Cable-Driven Parallel Robotics architecture and uses AI-enabled vision and sensor intelligence to detect, assess and remove accumulated waste.
The ministry said the robot can identify different waste types, flow conditions and structural constraints in real time.
It uses a five-degrees-of-freedom robotic mechanism along with a biomimetic claw-type grabber to handle mixed and irregular debris, which is then transferred directly into collection vehicles for hands-free disposal.
The ministry said the system is expected to reduce worker exposure to toxic gases, contaminated water and hazardous waste.
It also said the robot can operate during high water levels and continuous flow conditions, while supporting regular canal maintenance, drainage efficiency and urban flood prevention.
The ministry said the deployment could serve as a scalable model for other high-risk canals and drainage networks across Kerala.
Aligned with the vision of the Swachh Bharat Mission, such technology-driven interventions reflect how states are increasingly embracing innovation to modernise urban sanitation systems while prioritising the dignity, safety, and well-being of sanitation workers, the ministry added.
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