Dehradun: On Saturday, during the medal ceremony of the athletics event at the 38 National Games at Maharana Pratap stadium, Raipur, Dehradun the atmosphere was filled with anticipation. Players and spectators alike expected the traditional medal ceremony to take place. However, in the next few moments, the entire process took an innovative turn. With a command from a remote controller, ‘Molly the Robot’ sprang into action. Carrying a tray with medals, it moved towards the winners. The guests then picked up the medals and placed them around the winners’ necks.
The host state, Uttarakhand, introduced this robotic technology, creating a unique and delightful experience for everyone. However, apart from the athletics event, other sports continued to follow the traditional medal ceremony. Athletics has about 40 events. According to Sports Director Prashant Arya, ‘Molly the Robot’ will be used in most of the athletics medal ceremonies.
Along with the outstanding performances of the athletes, the 38th National Games are showcasing several innovative initiatives to the entire nation. Technological advancements have now become an integral part of the National Games. Our aim is to harness the full potential of new technology to drive the development of sports.
— Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister
Chief Minister’s directive was that the National Games should incorporate technological advancements. Hence, this experiment was conducted using robotic technology. We are also reducing dependence on human resources by employing robotic technology in athletics events such as hammer throw, javelin throw, and discus throw.
— Amit Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, National Games
Uttarakhand Police’s Drone Team Takes the Lead:
The idea of ‘Molly the Robot’ was developed by Uttarakhand Police’s drone team in collaboration with a private firm, D-Town Robotics. Team members Vipin Kumar, Deepankar Bisht, Prashant Chandra, Deepak Bisht, Abhishek Kumar, and Prajwal Rawat worked on this project for about a month and a half. While ‘Molly the Robot’ played a key role in the medal ceremony, another robot assisted during the discus throw event. Olympian Manish Rawat remarked that it was the first time he had seen a robot being used in a medal ceremony.
