Kovai man’s robot stands in line, buys liquor in lockdown

As the crowd inched towards an outlet on Variety Hall Road, the robot too was operated perfectly into the circle drawn for social distancing. Finally, when the robot reached the counter, the sales staff placed liquor bottles on a card board box kept on its platform and payment was done digitally via a cell phone mounted on the robot. The phone also doubles up as a camera and sensor for the robot.

It has been designed with a simple mechanism comprising four small wheels used in kids’ cycles, three lithium ion batteries and a gear used in cycles. “It took nearly an hour to make the purchase as there was a huge crowd. The robot can carry a load of up to 50 kgs, which I tested by placing a rice bag. The battery power can last for about four hours at a stretch and is chargeable,” said Karthick, adding, it can be operated from anywhere. “The idea struck me after I saw such long queues in front of the liquor shops and disregarding the norms. I created the robot in two days with simple tools with just Rs 3,000,” he said.

“In developed countries, robots are an essential part of the healthcare system. This prototype can also be modelled for similar functions to check spread of COVID among health professionals,” Karthick added. A native of Vilundamavadi village, Nagapattinam and a graduate in ECE, Karthick earlier created a tracker device for school children and another device to ensure people wear seat belts in cars. He also participated in a recent open for all global hackathon, ‘Don’t Touch, Don’t Meet,’ and suggested ideas to operate vending machines without touching and withdrawing cash from ATMs just through scanning.