Could quadruped robots become the next industrial workforce? An autonomous platform combines AI software with heavy payload capacity for demanding environments.
Bengaluru-based Strider Robotics has unveiled the M3, an autonomous quadruped robot designed for industrial inspection, material handling and infrastructure monitoring. Developed after several years of research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the platform is capable of carrying payloads of up to 40kg while navigating uneven terrain, and has entered commercial pilot deployments with customers in the oil and gas and automotive sectors.
Unlike wheeled autonomous robots that require relatively smooth surfaces, quadruped systems are designed to traverse stairs, rubble and other challenging environments. This makes them suitable for applications such as power plants, mining sites, refineries and large industrial facilities, where routine inspections can expose workers to hazardous conditions. According to the company, the platform combines onboard autonomy with an AI-based software stack that supports navigation, mission planning, asset monitoring and data analytics. The software is also designed to operate on third-party quadruped robots, allowing users to deploy inspection capabilities without being tied to a single hardware platform.
The M3 integrates high-torque actuators, multiple sensors and autonomous locomotion to carry inspection equipment across difficult terrain. Strider says the robot contains more than 80% indigenous content by component cost and is intended to support thermal cameras, LiDAR, gas detectors and other industrial payloads that exceed the capacity of lighter quadruped robots. The system is being evaluated in live industrial environments to assess its performance in inspection and monitoring tasks.
“Our goal is to establish India as a serious contributor to the next generation of intelligent robotic systems by developing advanced quadruped robots and AI-powered software for industrial and defence applications,” says Aditya Singh, Marketing and Operations Executive at Strider Robotics.
Click here for the official announcement.
