Say Hello To Iris - Kerala's First AI Teacher (image-instagram/makerlabs_official)
In the small town of Kallambalam, Thiruvanthapuram, technology and education have joined hands to revolutionise classrooms. Meet Iris, the AI teacher in the KTCT Higher Secondary School.
Developed by Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) project by the Central Niti Aayog (2021) with the aim of promoting extracurricular activities among students. The project was made in collaboration with MakerLabs Edutech Private Limited, one of ATL’s scientific and technical support companies.
Kerala’s first AI teacher, Iris, entering into classrooms has transformed the way the concept of teaching has been practiced for ages. Meera M N, the principal said, “Students have developed many skills through the lab, gaining hands – on workshop experience in various areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing. These workshops have helped us realise the potential of AI and that prompted us to collaborate with MakerLabs,” as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
While students appreciate Iris”s role in improving their learning, many also express reliefs that an AI teacher does not scold them. Another student called Muhammed Mubarak S, a 9th-grade student and member of the AI teacher team, highlighted Iris”s benefits in improving English proficiency.
Iris represents a significant leap forward in educational technology, combining AI technology with motion control facilitated through Bluetooth, enabling verbal interactions and physical gestures such as moving forward, backward and shaking hands. CEO of MakerLabs observed the endless possibilities of AI, “When a student asks a question, Iris generates answers that closely resemble human responses.”
With nearly 3,000 students having interacted with Iris, the school management is considering dedicating one period per week to the AI teacher, starting next year.
Under the Startup Mission, MakerLabs is actively looking to introduce the AI teacher to other schools in the state. Moreover, plans to install an AI camera system, enabling Iris to recognize and differentiate between students and teachers, and respond accordingly are underway.
The Iris project was inspired from a project undertaken by London’s Otermans Institute which introduced the world’s first digital human AI teacher, Beatrice.
