Going Coco-Nuts with a Coco-Bot
Kerala youth develops lightweight robot (Coco-bot) that climbs coconut trees and harvests ripe coconuts
A group of four youngsters from Kozhikode, Kerala have got a coconut crush! They are scaling new heights with their cool Coco-bot, a unique coconut tree-climbing robot. Believe it or not, this quirky Coco-bot even taps and plucks ripe coconuts. Innovation is the key to success. The advancements in robotics and automation have only revolutionized agriculture.
Coco-Loco Moment
The Coco-bot is not just lightweight, it is driven by an AI database. And guess what, the idea was born in a bathroom. “I
was in my bathroom and that’s where it (the Coco-bot idea) all started,” says Ashin P Krishna, founder and CEO of Altersage Innovations Pvt Ltd. Ashin,
couldn’t make it to the Indian Science Congress (ISC) with his earlier invention of an air conditioner.
Ashin recalls the day he was aimlessly glancing at a coconut tree across his bathroom. It was Ashin’s Eureka moment! He imagined a robot climbing up the tall coconut tree to harvest the coconuts. Ashin knew that he had to develop a futuristic robot that could climb and harvest coconuts efficiently.
“It felt more like a futuristic spark. I could see a robot climb up a coconut tree and harvest coconuts,” recounts Ashin. He talks of the potential Coco-bot has in society. Others have attempted similar robots but they are all heavy and
inefficient. Ashin’s Coco-bot is light and agile. He believes
the larger aim behind his invention is safety of people and rural employment. “We are creating rural employment by such inventions as the robot requires a human to operate it,” he says.
In A Nutshell
India is the third-largest in terms of its coconut production. “Today, there are very few coconut tree climbers as
compared to previous times because of the risk
of falling down. Coco-bot
can do all that a human does,” quips Ashin. From climbing
up the coconut tree to harvesting coconuts and returning
to the ground, Coco-bot has
you covered!
According to the Coconut Development Board (CDB), Kochi database, out of nearly
32,925 coconut tree climbers trained over 12 years, only 673 climbers are actively engaged in the profession.
However, Coco-bot is still a work in progress. Ashin shares that a prototype has been successfully created and tested on multiple coconut trees. “We hope to hit the market soon by the middle of next year,” he avers. Ashin is optimistic that the future of robotics in the field of agriculture is bright. He adds, “Across the world you can see how robotic solutions have spread their wings in the field
of agriculture.”
Unique Offerings
There have been attempts at creating coconut tree climbing robots in the past in Tamil Nadu but that coco-bot weighed over 20 kg. You would need three people to carry such a heavyweight robot and fix it to the coconut tree. Whereas, Ashin’s Coco-bot is compact, lightweight and faster in speed, something crucial for an easy climb. It needs a single individual to handle it.
However, Ashin’s journey of making Coco-bot a reality was not easy. He shares that if it were not for NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) or Vadakara Coconut Farmers Producer Company, Coco-bot wouldn’t exist. “If it were not for these supporters, perhaps I would be doing some other job elsewhere,” he says. Ashin is all praises for his team, professors, and teachers.
“My team and I would be most happy to see Coco-bot harvest coconuts successfully not just in India, but across the world,” he says with an optimistic smile. Hopefully, the Coco-bot offerings will make all dreams come true, from the treetop to the dinner table.