Tech geek aims to make learning fun with humanoid robot 'Shiksha'

A tech geek in Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka has developed a humanoid robot named ‘Shiksha’ that can teach children up to class four.

The model is ready but it has not been deployed anywhere officially. However, its developer Akshay Mashelkar, a post-graduate in physics with specialisation in electronics, said ‘Shiksha’ can be a useful learning tool for students up to class four.

Mashelkar, who hails from Sirsi and possesses a B.Ed degree too, says the idea to develop ‘Shiksha’ occurred to him during the COVID induced lockdown when students stayed glued to mobile phones or computers for lessons online.

”People wanted an interactive tool instead of taking lessons online in a boring way where no fun is involved. Fun in learning makes the classroom lively and grasping lessons becomes easy. That’s the reason I thought of this robot,” Mashelkar told PTI.

A physics lecturer at Chaitanya Pre-University College in Sirsi, Mashelkar felt that children missed technology during the classroom.

He intends to bring more technological concepts, which, according to him, will revolutionise the learning process and the first of it is ‘Shiksha’ robot.

”This is not like a highly advanced technological robot because my basic intention was to make it affordable for students in rural areas where it can be supplied,” Mashelkar said.

The lecturer said the humanoid has movement as well and is not static.

”Shiksha nods her head when children give the right answer. For the right answers, it extends her hand to encourage students,” Mashelkar said.

For rhymes and tables, it extends one hand and for synonyms and antonyms, it extends both hands, the robot’s developer said.