FM Nirmala Sitharaman, along with 72 Delegation of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, Meets ARTPARK at CeNSE,IISc

Towards the end of the two-day visit of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Bangalore, the delegation visited the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for a special event – Walk the Talk: Policy in action- to engage with tech-innovators and entrepreneurs who are working on affordable and scalable solutions to some of the most significant challenges being faced by G20 member countries. AI & Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK) @ IISc, which is an innovation-Hub set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, supported by the Dept of Science and Technology (DST, Govt of India), Dept of IT-BT Govt. of Karnataka and the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), to promote translation of deep-tech innovations in AI & Robotics into impactful products and solutions, showcased ten ventures under its Startup @ ARTPARK program and CAMRAS Manufacturing Accelerator setup by MHI. 

Hon’ble Finance Minister of India, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, and 72 delegates from G20 countries  were impressed by all the demos showcased by ARTPARK. Chirathe Robotics’ quadruped robot – Baghira along with XTOL-15 and telepresence ARTBOT from Aham robotics stole the show with their splendid working models.

ARTPARK @ IISc showcased a quadruped robot from Chirate Robotics; GigaMesh and GigaSat solutions from Astrome; Indigenous Robotic Components developed by Gati Robotics; Private 5G enterprise service by Niral Networks; Intelligent Autonomous sUAS platform – UAVIO; latest DGCA-approved mapping and spraying drone by General Aeronautics; AlgoFET – the UAV Autonomous Charging system; Mobile telepresence solutions from Aham robotics; STEM Based Learning Solutions by STEMpedia and The Innovation Story.

Prof Bharadwaj Amrutur, Research Head and Director, ARTPARK, said, “Governments across the globe have understood that technology and development go hand-in-hand. We are glad to see that the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries also believe in the same and have devoted their valuable time to see the impact of futuristic technologies being developed by one of the most advanced R&D hubs in India, ARTPARK @ IISc. Our vision is to create an inclusive platform to enable startups to harness the latest advances in AI, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems to deliver solutions at scale for solving the pressing problems of India and other developing nations in Logistics, Healthcare, and Skilling.”

Details about the demos showcased by ARTPARK as per different industries: 

Drones and UAVs:

1) UAV technologies from ARTPARK@IISc: A part of the startups that  commenced operations under a manufacturing accelerator set up by the MHI (Ministry of Heavy Industries) called CAMRAS (Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Robotics and Autonomous Systems).

AlgoFet – the autonomous charging system for UAVs; Vishwa Aerospace – AI-based UAV autopilot system, Sisumara Amphibian UAV designed to enable take-off and landing in water; XTOL-15 -a cargo UAV designed for the logistics industry.

2) UAVIO: Intelligent Autonomous sUAS platform UAVIO showcased live demonstrations of Autonomous Waypoint Navigation, Simple Collision Prevention,  Dynamic Collision Prevention, Vision-based Precision Landing, and Pre-defined Trajectory Tracking.

3) General Aeronautics is India’s leading drone technology provider which showcased Krishak, an agriculture-focused, DGCA-approved mapping and spraying drone that possesses Variable Rate Technology, advanced AI/ML capabilities, and other best-in-class features which enable it to spray up to 60 acres in a day. 

5G Infrastructure: 

4) Astrome Astrome Technologies is a women-led deep tech startup that is accelerating the deployment of wireless backhaul telecommunication infrastructure through its patented millimeter wave E-band radios products for rural, 5G market segments. The startup showcased GigaMesh, which is the World’s first Multi-beam E-band Radio that can communicate from one tower to multiple towers simultaneously while delivering multi GBPS throughput to each of these towers. Our product has the power of software over hardware. The developed proprietary algorithms enable Automatic link alignment and dynamic power alignment.

5) Niral Networks: A comprehensive private 5G & Edge platform for accelerating Enterprise Operational Effectiveness. It was established with the vision to redefine the future of Enterprise Connectivity by making private 5G & Edge as ubiquitous as WIFI and expediting the adoption of emerging technologies like IoT, Drone, Robotics, AI/ML, AR/VR, and Gaming thereby redefining the way people live and work. The startup showcased initiating a live call over the 5G network, using an x86 Server.

Robotics:

6) Aham Robotics:

AHAM Robotics develops cost-effective and modular mobile telepresence solutions for global businesses. The solutions enable greater collaboration, engagement, and participation from any part of the world through a robot that can navigate and move across the location. It can be configured per the specific use cases to provide a rich and meaningful experience during the interaction. At AHAM, the solutions enhance user interaction experience by supporting autonomous mobility, augmented reality, and natural, easy-to-use UIX.

7) Chirathe Robotics

Chirathe Robotics takes inspiration from its namesake- the leopard and develops highly agile robots that can navigate on rough and uneven terrains effortlessly. Chirathe fuels the possibilities of highly agile and intelligent robots that can operate with mobility capabilities similar to that of animals. Currently, the team focuses on Baghira, a quadruped robot that can operate in highly unstructured terrains and human environments. The robotic startup envisioned a future where robots with unrestricted mobility work closely with humans.

8) Gati Robotics: 

Gati Robotics develops the building blocks for robotics through high-quality robotic components made in India from the ground up. Gati’s indigenously designed and locally sourced robotics solutions expand the ways in which automation can provide effective solutions. Gati aims to remove external dependencies in the process of manufacturing robotic components, to equip businesses with the power of customization to achieve optimum performance. The portfolio includes Robotic Actuators, Planar Magnetic Drive Systems, and Soft Robotic Gripper and Skin.   

Edu-Tech: 

9) STEMpedia: STEMpedia equips K12 students with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century, such as coding, artificial intelligence, and robotics. It showcased its range of Institution packages tailored to private and public schools, activity centers, and maker spaces, offering an affordable AI and Robotics Lab ecosystem with activity-based learning and curriculum.

10) The Innovation Story: The ed-tech platform is on a mission to empower students with Future-of-Work skills and transform them into passionate innovators through experiential learning.  It helps students build a strong foundation of information technology tools through various courses in programming, robotics, AI, and allied domains. The startups showcased robots designed and built by students for international challenges.