32-year-old robot still performs religious rituals

By Team MyNation  |  First Published Apr 29, 2019, 3:11 PM IST

The robot performs arathi and puja even after 32 years. Sabu, the robot’s inventor, recalled its creation and said that he didn't have any intention of making a robot which can be used for religious rites.
 

Thiruvananthapuram: VS Sabu, a diploma holder in electrical engineering, in 1987, had invented a robot which can perform rites like arathi and puja. The invention was recognised and praised by the office of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the technical department of education, Kerala. Even after 32 years the same robot still performs pujas and arathis.

Sabu has 38 years of experience in design, development and manufacturing apart from specialising in robotics. Sabu became a diploma holder in 1980 and is also certified in various technologies.

He recalled his invention and said that he never intended to make a robot which can be used to perform religious rites.

The robot can perform arathi and puja, garland idols, burn camphor, light lamps, etc.

This junior priest robot weighs around 40 kilograms and was made using scrap metal and other materials. It is powered by five motors and controlled by an 8-bit microprocessor. The robot can be controlled manually too and has a load-bearing capacity of 1.5 kilograms and an accuracy of 98% with power consumption of 150 watts.

The robot has a feedback control for near 100% accuracy. The robot has rotational displacement of 280 degrees with lower and upper arms at 180 degrees each. It is capable of movement along five-axis with five motors.

Sabu had also invented a prototype of a vehicle with a path tracking device for the department of defence in 1990.  In 1991 he developed a numerically controlled drilling machine and in 1992 he came up with an electric jack which can lift vehicles. In 1994, he had also invented a solar-powered three-wheeler, which can be used for persons who are differently-abled.

He had also invented another robot which can pick and place weights according to programmed locations.  In 2009 he developed a low-speed friction torque tester for ISRO.

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