Abu Dhabi-Based Srikakulam Boy’s Eco-Robot To Be Showcased At Dubai Expo

DUBAI: A small robot built by a nine-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian child which segregates waste, will be showcased at the Expo 2020 Visitor Centre in Dubai.

Nine-year-old Putsala Harshith, who originally hails from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, is a class four student at the Bright Riders School Abu Dhabi. His project, called "Robotic waste segregation to organic composting", was chosen to be part of the Expo 2020 Young Innovators programme. "My robot, Wsegrebot, segregates waste into green, wet, metal, paper, wood and plastic. The wet and brown waste, like paper and wood, will be shredded. Then the waste is converted into organic compost, which turns into soil when mixed with sand," the Khaleej Times reported on Wednesday citing Harshith. By turning waste into something that would be useful for farming, he seeks to "turn the desert into a garden", adding that his vision for the project was to "promote chemical-free agriculture".

He has also made a cleaning robot using old cars, cardboard and motor. "I had made a smaller robot to help my mother Shirisha a homemaker and now I have made a bigger one to help with cleaning."

His father Thanooj a software consultant said that he was interested in robotics and wanted to learn it as a birthday present. For the past few years, Harshith is also leading a campaign against plastic use and is supported by his sister Haasini and Grade 11 student. He makes paper bags to replace the plastic ones. He will continue and expand his drive when he visits Srikakulam during vacation. "I have taken my campaign to 20 schools in Srikakulam," he said. (IANS)