Hyderabad-based start-up H-Bots Robotics has showcased a smart ‘policing robot’ that can keep tabs on what is happening across 360 degrees. It has the ability to recognise faces and gestures.

The bot can speak six languages. While English-speaking capabilities have already been built-in, five regional languages are under testing. A team of 16 H-Bots employees spent 1,400 hours to produce the robot.

The robot — named after Hemant Karkare, who died fighting terrorists in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai — can identify people, take complaints, detect bombs, identify suspects, interact with people and answer queries.

The firm, which spent about ₹40 lakh on R&D for the robot, is currently building capacities to produce 70 robots a year. As volumes grow, the company targets to bring down the cost to ₹5 lakh a piece.

Addressing a gathering after the bot’s launch on Friday, Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana IT and Industries Secretary, said the robot will soon be tested on field before being released commercially.

Kisshhan PSV, founder of H-Bots Robotics, sees a huge opportunity in real estate, hospitality and healthcare. In the policing vertical, the robots will be named after the cops who laid down their lives serving the nation.

The bot can interact with its surrounding environment, gathering data in real time, and can detect irregularities. It can man public and private areas such as signal posts, malls, airports and offices.

The start-up has signed an agreement with Amigo Group of Thailand to develop an exclusive robot for the real-estate sector. The ‘ReBot’ will address the niche requirements of the industry. Chandra Sekhar Avvar, Chairman, Amigo Group, said in a statement that the group pegs the requirement at about 100 ‘ReBots’.

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