Soccer Playing, 3D Printed MANAV Robot Debuts at IIT Mumbai TechFest

MANAV, which the developers say is India’s first 3D printed humanoid robot, was launched at IIT Mumbai TechFest recently.

Built by the A-SET Training & Research Institute in New Delhi, the first humanoid robot made its debut at the IIT Bombay campus this past weekend. This was no small event, featuring speakers like Bjarne Stroustrup, the inventor of the C++ programming language, and Dr. Vint Cerf, better known as the co-founder of the Internet.

A-SET is an academy dedicated to training students in the assembling and repair of electronics and computer devices and instruments. Students at the school take on disciplines and devices such as monitors, DMP printers, color printers, laser printers, motherboards, routers, switches, and, in this case, robotics.

The director of the institute, Uday Kumar Vaish, has worked with prominent institutions such as the Human Resources Development Department of the Central Government, Directorate General of Resettlement, and the Indian Ministry of Defence. A-SET say in designing their curriculum, they seek to make it practically-oriented and cost effective, and from their work on MANAV, that seems to have paid dividends.

The TechFest is a showcase for innovations from around the campus and includes everything from underwater robots to flying drones and some of the hottest inventions from across India each year on the 550-acre campus of IIT-B.

This year, 3D printing featured prominently and many of the projects had 3D printed components or orientation such as a 3D printer made at the MIT Media Labs, India.

One of the slickest projects was MANAV.

The MANAV robot is two feet tall, weighs just 4.4 pounds, and is driven by some 21 separate servos. It’s packed with interesting technology and it can perform some wild stunts.

Capable of recreating headstands, push-ups, and – at least according to the builders – also playing football, the ‘humanoid robot’ was largely made from 3D printed parts in plastic. It can follow various instructions, features two cameras for eyes, and two headphones which serve as ‘ears.’

The MANAV was entirely designed, printed, and manufactured in India by a team at A- SET, and they say it took them a total of two months to complete.

The developers say MANAV will be available for purchase for between $2500 and $4000 (Rs 1.5 and 2.5 lakh), depending on the level of customization required.

Up until recently, India has lagged behind the United States and most of Europe in their adoption of 3D printing technology. Do you think projects like MANAV will spur sufficient interest in 3D printing to offer India a leg up? Let us know in the 3D Printed MANAV Robot forum thread on 3DPB.com.