A Diwali party with robots working as servers, cooks and waiters may sound like something out of a sci-fi film but that's exactly what happened inside a housing society in Jaipur, Rajasthan this year. Residents of Gulmohar Garden Society here experienced a unique Diwali this year as they celebrated the festivities with four humanoid robots.
The robots led the celebrations as they lit sparklers and crackers, shook hands with the residents and greeted the guests.
Apart from entertaining party guests, though, the robots have been built for a much nobler purpose. The robots are designed to replace human scavenging and help sanitation workers who often have to perform the degrading and often fatal task of manual scavenging despite, an oppressive profession rooted deeply in the caste system.
Robotics expert Bhuvnesh Mishra told PTI that the idea behind introducing the robots at the Diwali party was to remind residents of the efforts that sanitation workers put in so that the city can enjoy a happy Diwali. "When all of us are celebrating Diwali, personnel in the fire brigade and police and sanitation workers are performing their duties away from their families. In such situations, these robots can become their support," Mishra said.
Robots as manual scavengers
The robots that took part in Gulmohar Garden Society's festivities included Xena 5.0 All Terrain Robot, Xena 6.0 Solar Manhole Cleaning Robot, Sona 3.5 AI Humanoid Robot and Sona 2.5 Service Robot Men.
Made by Club First Robotics in Jaipur, these robots can efficiently accomplish tasks such as extinguishing a fire in an emergency or repairing a choke in a sewer line, Mishra said.
Sona 2.5 manned the food service at the cafeteria while Sona 3.5 registered complaints, gave feedback and responded to society-related queries.
Xena 5.0, designed along the lines of an Army tank, is a powerful and compact robot designed for defence. It performed the guard's duties during the festivities, activated the fire fighting system, watered the garden and conducted video surveillance. It also manned the parking area and signalled to remove vehicles parked in an incorrect manner.
On the other hand, Xena 6.0 demonstrated its skill in cleaning deep manholes and drainage lines. The solar-powered robot is equipped with GPS and a gas detection alarm.
The scourge of manual scavenging
Manual scavenging continues to be a scourge across the nation and leads to multiple deaths across states throughout the year. Apart from being degrading and against right to dignified life, the practice of manusaslly cleaning sewers and septic tanks has long-lasting medical and mental health impacts.
As many as 66,692 manual scavengers, including 37,379 in Uttar Pradesh, have been identified across the country, the government said on Wednesday. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said 340 people have died while cleaning sewers and tanks in the last five years.
Out of the 340 deaths, full compensation has been paid to 217 and partial compensation has been paid to 47, according to the data shared by Athawale
