New technology in corpse management: becoming a ‘Robo Van’

KATHMANDU: MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 – A new technology ‘Robo Van’ is being developed to manage the corpses of those who have died from Corona infection. Students of Kathmandu University (KU) School of Engineering in Dhulikhel are constructing the van with the financial support of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).

Last year, the death toll from the Corona outbreak became so high that Robo Van that could handle unmanned corpses were built. The remote-controlled van will help transport the body from the hospital bed to the hearse and from the hearse to the crematorium. It is said that the Robo Van will be especially suitable for managing the bodies of the deceased in the hospital.

“The Robo Van, which was started last year, was stopped due to lack of funds. Recently, more money has come for the construction of the van. We are starting the rest of the construction work,” said Abhishek Karki, the van’s designer. According to him, the construction of the Robo Van was started in Kartik last year. Although the construction of the first installment of NAST was started from Rs. 395,000, the construction work of the van was stopped as the second installment did not arrive on time.

Karki said, “We spent some money to move the construction forward, but due to non-receipt of additional funds on time, the materials were not available and the work was halted.” A team of six engineers including him has started the construction work of the Robo Van . The construction of the first state-of-the-art van in Nepal will cost Rs. 1 million.

The robot puts and removes the corpses in the Robo Van using digital devices. According to Karki, 90 percent of the van and 70 percent of the robot have been completed. “If there is no shortage of funds and materials for vans and robots, we can use corpse management in a month’s time,” Karki said. It is said that the manpower sent to the hospital for body management will be reduced after the van is brought into use.

Karki, an engineering student, said that the design of the ‘Robo Van’ was suitable for a team of his classmates who had come up with the idea of ​​using the Corona infection after it was decided not to touch the corpse. “Even after one year, our goal of building a Robo Van will be achieved,” he said. If the test of the Robo Van is successful, the stakeholders are expected to manage the budget and build more vans as per the need. -RSS