Russia to Supply 'Kanatokhod' Robots to India to Help Save Rare Birds

The Russian company Laboratory of the Future developed the "Kanatokhod", which will help in installing signal discs to protect rare birds, Pavel Kamnev, commercial director of the company, told reporters.

“This model is currently undergoing certification in India. Several Indian companies are already ready to purchase them from us to perform work in the country ... It is necessary to conduct demonstration flights. But in India it is presently a rainy season. We will start flying only in September, and in October. We will receive an Indian certificate allowing us to use our drones in India", Kamnev said on the sidelines of the Archipelago 2023 design and educational intensive.

He said they had demonstrated the capabilities of the "Kanatokhod" to many Indian electric grid companies in May, and that all of them were delighted with the technology.

The "Kanatokhod" takes off from a ground station, and places itself on a power line or lightning protection cable. It automatically moves from one substation to another, collecting and processing information about the state of the object. It later forms lists of deficiencies, generating recommendations and evaluating the volumes of the repair work required for the power line the system.

Speaking on how these robotic devices will help save birds, Kamnev said: “One of the areas of activity will be the installation of bird alarms. There is a big problem in India. There is a very rare population of storks living only in the country, which is about 100 pieces. Birds die from electric shocks from power lines”.

Regarding how the "Kanatokhod" will reduce work pressure, Kamnev said that Laboratory of the Future had developed a special module that takes 10 such devices to the drone, automatically measures 15 metres, and installs them on wires.

This is enough to speed up the process and protect the personnel of the electric grid companies.

The death of birds due to high-wired tension poles has been a problem in India, especially when it comes to the endangered Great Indian Bustard, vultures, and others. Thousands of birds die while sitting on or flying across these electric poles yearly.