A man in south India designed a robotic arm to help feed his disabled daughter, despite the father having no formal training in engineering and using YouTube videos for guidelines.
School dropout father in India builds robot to help feed his daughter with cerebral palsy
A man in south India designed a robotic arm to help feed his disabled daughter, despite the father having no formal training in engineering and using YouTube videos for guidelines.
Bipin Kadam, 43, a school dropout in Goa, Karnataka, has built a robot to feed his daughter, as seen in this footage from March 23.
His 14-year-old daughter suffers from cerebral palsy and is dependent on others for all her tasks including eating.
The robot, named ‘Maa robot’ or ‘Mother robot’, can hold a spoon with its arm, scoop up food from bowls and gently feed her.
Bipin does not have formal training in engineering and could not study after 10th standard (around 14-years-old) as his poor family could not afford to pay for his education.
He started working as a machine operator at a small manufacturing firm.
He realised he was tech-savvy and learnt different skills - 3-D modelling, programming, animation and designing - on the job.
He now works as a computer numerically controlled (CNC) operator and manages sophisticated machines in his firm.
He decided to make a robot for his daughter as It would take a lot of time to feed her.
“I also want her to be as independent as possible,” says Bipin.
He had no idea how to build a robot, and being a poor man, who makes just Rs 20,000 (GBP £210) a month, he also had to find the cheapest way to do it.
“I looked at at least 500 videos on YouTube and understood how robotics worked.
I bought a few components like an Arduino USB board and a servo motor online, and designed the rest myself,” he says.
Working every night for an hour after work, Bipin took four months to put the robot together and programme it.
He has been using the robot since late 2018 to feed his daughter but in February this year, he made it public.
He is now raising funds to develop his robot further, adding more functions and make it easier to use.
“Many parents with disabled children can benefit from this robot.
I would like to reach it to them,” he says.