Robot Dog for Wildlife Protection and Devotee Safety

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is exploring advanced technology to strengthen wildlife monitoring in the Tirumala forest region and enhance the safety of devotees. As part of the initiative, TTD Additional Executive Officer C.H. Venkaiah Chowdary, along with officials, inspected the performance of a quadruped robot, commonly known as a robot dog, near the Padmavathi Guest House in Tirumala. Officials examined its potential use in difficult and dangerous forest areas where human movement is challenging. The robot is equipped with an optical camera, thermal imaging camera, 360-degree LiDAR, multiple sensors and artificial intelligence capabilities. These technologies can help detect and monitor wildlife movements even in conditions such as darkness and fog.

The robot’s artificial intelligence system can identify and classify large animals, humans, vehicles and livestock. Officials are examining a system that could send geo-tagged alerts when wildlife is detected and provide live video and thermal feeds to the control room and patrol teams. The technology could be particularly useful in forest areas along the Alipiri–Tirumala footpath, where early detection of leopards and other wildlife could help alert devotees and enable forest, vigilance and security personnel to respond quickly. Authorities are also exploring the use of sound and light units to guide animals back toward the forest without physical contact when they approach areas frequented by devotees. Rather than replacing existing camera traps, foot patrols and forest surveillance, the robot could serve as an additional mobile monitoring system that can be rapidly deployed in areas with increased wildlife activity.