India’s First Robot Teacher is here!

This teacher’s day, Eagle 2.0, a humanoid robot gave a lesson on thermal physics for eighth-graders, at Indus International School, Bangaluru, becoming India’s first-ever robot teacher. Eagle 2.0 works as a teacher assistant and is capable of taking queries from students, asking them questions and reacting to the answers she receives. While the robot works in sync with a powerpoint presentation on screen, the Physics teacher Murali Subramanian was also present in the class.

The robot uses the same motor as the one which is used by the humanoid Sofie. The school currently boasts of three such robots who can act as teacher assistants for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography and History for the classes 7,8 and 9.

Eagle 2.0 was completely built inhouse by a team that consists of experienced teachers, graphic designers, engineers and programmers trained from India’s premier institutions as well as abroad. Lt Gen Arjun Ray, CEO of Indus Trust reckons that, even while the Eagle 2.0 delivers the content, the teacher orchestrates the whole classroom. While the robot teaches and gives assessments, the teacher can concentrate on giving individual attention and mentoring. 

In future, the school plans to introduce more interactive and child-friendly robots in its primary and pre-primary classes. Pilot projects for humanoid teachers who can handle the class even in the absence of teachers are already underway. There are also plans to create personal humanoid tutors for students.

Article and Image sources:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/at-this-bengaluru-school-robots-teach-and-teachers-mentor/articleshow/70867664.cms