Udupi, April 14: The 111-year-old Vandse Government Higher Primary School in Byndoor, Kundapur taluk, has introduced an AI robot teacher, the first of its kind in a government school in Karnataka.
Developed by MakerLabs Edutech under the Atal Tinkering Lab scheme of NITI Aayog, IRIS was first introduced at KTCT Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, two years ago.
Our school has launched the ‘IRIS’ robot teacher, an artificial intelligence-based robot, to promote interactive learning, which is not a substitute for teachers, but is teacher-friendly. The AI-enabled voice assistant supports interactive learning in over 20 languages and we intend to use this facility from the next academic year,” said Uday Kumar Shetty, secretary of the Shree Mookambika Charitable Trust, which has adopted the school.
Some private schools have already started this facility, and ours is the first government school in the state. We have set up projectors, smart boards and a computer lab. Our focus is on technology-based learning, on par with private schools. Rs 3.5 lakh has been invested in the robot, he informed.
For its effective functioning, proper internet connectivity and power supply should be ensured, Shetty said. MakerLabs Edutech staff will operate the robot if required.
The trust has invested around Rs 3 crore to improve the school’s infrastructure, including new classrooms, solar power system, school buses, etc. The school has reported an increase in enrolment after the introduction of English medium education.
The authorities are hopeful that the number of students will increase after the introduction of AI teachers. Enquiries for admission have already increased. Currently, the school has 334 students enrolled from class 1 to 7 and there are 15 teachers.