Our bomb disposal robots are tailor-made to be used in Indian trains, vehicles: DRDO

DRDO has been working on the new frontiers of remotely operated vehicles or robots. These machines or robots, which have been successfully used in several operations by the country’s armed forces, have been especially designed and developed so that they can operate on Indian trains and vehicles.

New Delhi:India’s premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been working on the new frontiers of remotely operated vehicles or robots as these machines can minimise the risk and reduce fatalities in tackling dangerous jobs such as bomb disposal.

These machines or robots, which have been successfully used in several operations by the country’s armed forces, have been especially designed and developed so that they can operate on Indian trains and vehicles.

DRDO has designed and developed Daksh and Daksh Mini robots which are being produced by Indian public and private sector manufacturers.

While two feet high Daksh robot has been inducted into Indian Army, its smaller sibling Daksh Mini (CSROV) and even smaller versions have not been inducted.

“We have been developing several other ROVs that can be operated in confined or small spaces,” said PK Mehta, Director General of Armaments and Combat Engineering Division of DRDO.

“This systems can go to very small places and survey them, it can use or plant some surveillance system there,” he told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interaction at Lucknow Defence Expo.

Daksh is capable of handling, detection and defusing Improvised Explosive Devices. DRDO Daksh is battery operated vehicle capable which can operate both in urban and cross-country terrain.

It can lift 20 kilogram at a height of 2.5 meter. It can use its own x-ray to detect whether a suspicious object actually has explosives or not. According to DRDO engineers it can be used in Mumbai terror attack like situation.

DRDO has also developed its smaller version, popularly known as Daksh Mini or CSROV which can operate in confined places. Daksh Mini and its smaller versions have been specially designed for Indian conditions.

“If I talk about this CSROV, then it has been designed and developed in a manner so that it can be used in the trains and buses that are in operation in our country,” said the senior DRDO official.

PK Mehta also confirmed that Daksh has been successfully used in several tricky operations carried out by Indian army and security forces saving precious lives of soldiers.

Make in India in Defence

In order to boost the indigenous defence manufacturing capacity, the DRDO has transferred the technology of its remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to private and public sector players in the country.

The apex research and development body in the defence and aerospace sector has already shared its patent and other technology with Indian industry and Daksh has been manufactured by both private and public sector players.

(Article by Senior Journalist Krishnanand Tripathi)