Galle Robotics Meetup

Robotic Innovations for Addressing Pressing Challenges in the Developing World

Aim: This 2-day Robotics Meetup aims to bring together robotics innovators, entrepreneurs, and application stakeholders to brainstorm and explore collaborative opportunities that can create real-world impact under two themes particularly relevant to developing countries.

Meeting Format:
Each day of the meeting will focus on a distinct thematic area. Within each theme, participants will engage in structured value-addition ideation groups addressing specific topics. Example topics include:

• Agriculture: Opportunities in the coconut, tea, vegetable, paddy, and rubber industries.
• Marine Resource Harvesting: Innovations in seaweed processing, underwater remote tourism, fish canning, and export strategies.

We’ll focus on brainstorming solutions that combine technology, and user needs to create meaningful change. The specific applications can be anywhere in the world. The workshop will discuss common challenges and opportunities in the countries or regions represented by the participants.

Themes: Advancements in robotic mobility and perception are opening new avenues to address critical challenges faced by developing nations. These technologies hold the potential to drive efficiency and innovation across diverse sectors:

• Agricultural Transformation

Many countries continue to rely on inefficient agronomic practices, often limited by scarce agricultural land and outdated techniques. Robotic systems, including drones equipped with multimodal sensing, have the potential to transform farming by enabling real-time plant health monitoring, precision treatment, and optimized harvesting strategies—boosting efficiency while minimizing resource waste.

Beyond productivity, agriculture faces constant threats from pests and wild animals. Instead of relying on excessive toxic chemicals or brute-force deterrents, we can leverage advanced sensing and robotics to develop targeted, eco-friendly solutions—locating, distracting, or mitigating these threats with minimal environmental impact.

By integrating automation, AI-driven analytics, and precision technology, we can create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable future for agriculture.

• Sustainable Marine Resource Utilization Island nations are home to abundant marine resources that extend beyond traditional fisheries, yet many remain underutilized. Advanced robotic technologies in harvesting and processing could unlock their full potential, transforming them into high-value products and driving economic growth. Additionally, developing countries situated along ancient shipping routes serve as custodians of a rich maritime heritage, including historical shipwrecks. By leveraging immersive experience technologies, access to these underwater artifacts can be democratized, enhancing tourism, fostering cultural appreciation, and preserving maritime history for future generations.

These examples underscore the transformative role robotics can play in creating sustainable solutions for some of the most pressing global challenges. However, technology adoption is meaningful only in a sustainable business model grounded in the local context.

When and where?

This Robotics Meetup will be held in the historic city of Galle, Sri Lanka on 11th and 12th September 2025.

Who is encouraged to attend?

Anyone with experience in connecting diverse experts and stakeholders for impactful projects is welcome. You don’t need to be a Sri Lankan or from a developing country either. You can bring robotics expertise, or business and problem solving skills in other domains.

Register at this Eventbrite page.

Download slide deck

If you have any questions, please contact Thrishantha Nanayakkara (Email: t.nanayakkara@imperial.ac.uk )