काठमाडौं ।
The Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN) has established the Robotics Technology Development Fund (RTDF), a global initiative aimed at accelerating the research, development and deployment of locally relevant robotics and emerging technologies for disaster response, climate resilience, tourism and challenging terrains.
RAN said Nepal’s growing exposure to floods, landslides, earthquakes, avalanches and other climate- and geography-related risks requires more than conventional emergency response. The association aims to develop homegrown technologies specifically designed for Nepal’s mountains, rivers, settlements and difficult terrain.
The RTDF will support research and development of robotics and autonomous technologies that can assist communities before, during and after disasters. Areas of focus include pre- and post-disaster assessment, search and rescue, emergency response, drone-based disaster mapping, all-terrain robots for logistics and difficult terrain, and robotics solutions for mountain and rural communities.
The fund will also support climate-resilient autonomous systems, tourism and exploration technologies, infrastructure and environmental monitoring, as well as artificial intelligence, sensing and other autonomous technologies.
RAN said robotics clubs and young innovators will be at the heart of the initiative. The program will bring together robotics clubs, schools, universities, researchers, engineers, makerspaces, startups and technology partners to help young Nepalis research, design, prototype, test and deploy solutions to real-world challenges.
The association said its long-term ambition is to move Nepal beyond being a technology consumer and build its capacity to develop and eventually export locally relevant robotics solutions.
RAN plans to raise funds through three progressive targets. The first target is USD 100,000 for research, youth innovation, robotics club capacity building and initial disaster-technology prototypes.
The second target is USD 1 million to scale research and development, advanced prototyping, testing and field deployment. The final target is USD 10 million, which RAN says will support a national-scale robotics ecosystem capable of sustained research, manufacturing, deployment and international collaboration.
RAN has invited individuals, corporations, CSR programs, foundations, NGOs, INGOs, development partners, research institutions and technology companies worldwide to contribute to the initiative.
The association said contributions can be made through individual donations, corporate CSR programs or NGO/INGO grant partnerships, subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
RAN has described the initiative as part of its broader vision of “Creating Robotics Industry of Nepal by 2045.”
प्रकाशित: २० भाद्र २०८३, शनिबार
