City Corporation ropes in G-Spider for Amayizhanchan Canal clean-up

Minister M B Rajesh rolls out AI-powered robotic system of Genrobotics

Trivandrum / January 28, 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 28: In a major step to phase out manual scavenging and ensures safety of sanitation workers, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation today commissioned G-Spider, an AI-powered robotic canal cleaning system developed by Kerala-based startup Genrobotics, at the Amayizhanchan Canal near Railway Station premises at Thampanoor in the city.

Minister for Local Self-Governments Shri M.B. Rajesh launched the G-Spider at a function presided over by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Shri V V Rajesh.

The AI-powered canal cleaning project is a joint initiative of the City Corporation and Technopark-based Genrobotic Innovations, which developed Bandicoot, the world’s first robotic scavenger.   

Corporation Deputy Mayor Smt Asha Nath G S; Divisional Railway Manager Shri Divyakant Chandrakar, and CEO & Co-Founder of Genrobotic Innovations Shri Vimal Govind MK were present.

As per the agreement, Genrobotics will bear the entire cost of deploying the robotic system while the Corporation will supervise its operation and maintenance.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Shri Rajesh said Genrobotics has already set the example of how ideas can be transformed into impactful entrepreneurship. 

Of the total seven CBG plants to be commissioned in the state for solid waste disposal, the state capital will get one of them, he said.

Shri Rajesh said Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Rs 100-crore Compressed Biogas plant (CBG) at Brahmapuram, Kochi, on February 28. Already, 90 per cent of the 9 lakh metric tonnes of garbage mound has been removed from the site.

The work on Palakkad plant will be completed in February while the work on another plant in Thrissur is under progress. The plant for Changanassery is on the anvil. 

Shri Rajesh added that construction of four sanitary plants will be inaugurated next week.

In his address, the Mayor stressed the commitment of Corporation to leverage cutting edge technologies for waste disposal. Lauding the team of Genrobotics, Shri Rajesh said the civic body will explore all the possibilities of making use of the technology developed by the company. 

Shri Govind 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.

Corporation Secretary Smt K U Bini; Heath Standing Committee Chairman Shri M R Gopan; Welfare Standing Committee Chairperson Smt Sathyavathi V; Town Planning Standing Committee Chairman Shri Pattoor Radhakrishnan, and Ward Councillor Shri R Harikumar, also attended. 

The initiative 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.

While 6.8 km of the canal has already been cleaned under the ongoing rejuvenation programme, this approximately 15-metre covered stretch, extending from the Railway Station entrance to the tunnel mouth, remained a critical bottleneck. Its inaccessibility obstructed routine maintenance and posed severe risks to sanitation workers.

Repeated manual cleaning attempts in this area have resulted in serious safety incidents, including the tragic death of sanitation worker Mr. Joy in 2024.

In this context, the Corporation initiated deployment of robotic cleaning technology, in strict compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act.

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.

Guided by AI-driven vision algorithms, the robotic mechanism executes precise waste extraction using a five-degrees-of-freedom configuration, allowing accurate positioning, stable gripping, and reliable removal of debris. Extracted waste is automatically transferred into designated collection vehicles, enabling a fully hands-free, end-to-end canal cleaning process from detection to disposal. 

ENDS