New Delhi: India on Monday has taken a step forward in its Swachh Bharat campaign with the introduction of the country's first septic tank cleaning robot with the intentions of ending age old conventional menthod of manually cleaning manholes and sewers. The Homosep Atom robot was created by Solinas, a startup housed in the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at IIT Madras. According to a Ministry’s statement the main purpose was to remove the necessity for manual scavenging in manholes and septic tanks.

The Homosep Atom robo will eliminate the need for a manual cleaning mode through certain robotic processes. It has already been deployed in 16 cities across India, where it performs tasks such as blade cleaning, solid waste desilting, suction, and storage, an official statement said. By consolidating these functions into a single device, the robot will reduce the need for multiple assets, thereby lowering costs and promoting the adoption of robotic cleaning in sewers. Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), the Homosep Atom robot can inspect, clean, and manage confined spaces for sanitation purposes. Its deployment in cities like Madurai and Chennai has led to the clearing of manhole blockages and the reduction of sewer overflows, thus improving overall sanitation conditions.

One of the key advantages of the robot is its ability to empower sanitary workers by allowing them to clean manholes from the outside. With this facet, as implied in the statement, the robot  eliminates the need to enter toxic environments. This not only enhances the safety and dignity of sanitary workers but also improves the efficiency of the cleaning process.

The official statement further claimed, With support from DST, Solinas has developed a range of solutions, including the country's first 90mm water robot and 120mm sewer robot, capable of navigating through narrow pipelines to address contamination issues. In addition to its product, Solinas has developed technologies such as Endobot and Swasth AI, which serve as pipeline diagnostic tools for detecting and mitigating water contamination and sewer overflows. These solutions have been quite vital in cities like Coimbatore, Hubli, and Goa, where they have helped save costs, reduce resolution time, and improve access to clean drinking water.

Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary DST, following the commissioning of the robot, said,"DST’s support for such startups is a major source of encouragement for youngsters who are inspired by the Government start-up movement to develop their knowledge-based enterprises and solve societal challenges as well as contribute to the growth and development of the country,”