Young innovator says robotics can help Indian cricketers

Sixteen-year-old innovator from Gujarat, Harshwardhansinh Zala, who has developed a drone that detects and detonates landmines, Friday said robots can be created for the benefit cricket players, which can predict which way the ball might turn.

He said the technology can help the Indian cricket team to prepare themselves for the World Cup in a better way.

Zala, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Aerobotics 7, was speaking at the ongoing Goa Fest here.

"We can do that. We can work on sensors, which can see reflexes of player and probability where the ball can go," Zala, the designer of EAGLE A7 drone, said in response to a question whether robotics can help Indian cricket team in the World Cup.

"So, we can definitely help the Indian cricket team," he said during an interaction with the delegates.

Zala, who is currently a mentor in more than ten institutions, including IIT Bombay, has developed a prototype, which can detect the landmine and detonate without harming human lives.

"Currently, we completed the sixth prototype. We are looking for investment into the company. My only dream is to complete this project, give it to India and then to the world society and make world a safe place," he said.

Narrating his journey, Zala recalled that in July 2015, he saw a video that showed soldiers being killed in explosion while they were detecting landmines.

Zala said that since he belonged to a middle class family, he had no finance to work on the project of developing a drone that could detect and detonate landmines.

The Ahmedabad boy recalled that although he tried to approach some companies to work on the project, he was asked to complete his studies first.

Zala then started his own company to work on the project. "I started working on the prototype, I was working on the robot. I started working on the drones. After learning all of this, I created some of the experiments, which can detect landmines," he said.

He said his first prototype was a big failure.

"I failed 17-18 times. Then completed second prototype, which was a huge success," he said.