Kerala sisters in National Robotics Olympiad with flood-rescue robots

In the upcoming World Robotic Olympiad in Turkey, two young sisters from Mala are set to showcase a robot project that could take Kerala's pride to new heights. The robots, designed by Catheline Mary Jeeson and Clair Rose Jeeson, students of Mala Holy Grace Academy in Thrissur, are capable of travelling on both land and water and are expected to make a significant impact at the event.

At the Roboverse VR Expo, organised by Manorama Online in association with Unique World Robotics at Kochi in June this year, visitors were amazed by the robots designed by the sisters, which were specifically built to tackle flood-related challenges. Catheline, a 7th standard student, and Clair, a 4th standard student, impressed everyone at the expo. Those who witnessed their project marvelled, saying in unison, “These kids are on a whole different level indeed."

Robots that help in floods
At the VR Expo, the sisters unveiled two innovative robot models. One was designed to rescue people stranded in floods without the need for human intervention, while the other was built to clear the debris and waste left behind once the floodwaters recede. An updated version of this concept has now earned the talented duo first place in the National Robotics Olympiad under the Innovators Elementary category. Their prize included a cash reward of one lakh rupees and gold medals.

The Olympiad, held in Ahmedabad, was organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the India STEM Foundation. The project—a dual-function robotic solution called Rescue Clean Rovers—was inspired by the devastating floods that ravaged Kerala a few years ago.

Next set to perform in Turkey
These robots, which can travel on land and water, are equipped with GPS to share locations and provide live camera feeds. The duo has now applied for a patent on their project. Students from over a hundred schools across India and the Gulf countries participated in the Olympiad. Having won the competition here,  the robots are set to make their next appearance in Turkey.

The little sisters explain their Rescue Clean Rovers, saying, "Many people died during the 2018 floods. Although we had rescue workers, they couldn't reach many locations in time. We also noticed how difficult the cleanup drive was after the floods receded—some areas are still not fully cleaned. So we designed these robots as a solution to those issues. One operates on water, and the other functions on land. The one that travels on water is called Aqua Rescue Raft 1.0, used for rescue operations during floods. The second robot, Trashbot 3.0, is used for cleaning operations after the floods."

Besides rescuing people, Aqua Rescue Raft 1.0 also monitors the quality of water and air and checks for the presence of electricity in the water. It transmits footage through a camera mounted on it and includes an integrated IOS system. The two blades fitted on the raft can be used to remove water hyacinths and algae from the surface. The young sisters received their robotics training from Akhila Gogus and Dixon of Unique World Robotics, which provided technical assistance for the Roboverse VR Expo.