Udupi: A govt primary school in rural Udupi has introduced an AI-powered teacher robot, marking what is said to be the first such initiative in a govt school in Karnataka.The Govt Higher Primary School at Vandse Saturday launched ‘Iris’, an AI-enabled voice assistant designed to support classroom teaching and encourage interactive learning. Over five feet tall, the robot is designed to familiarise students with artificial intelligence alongside conventional instruction.Uday Kumar Shetty, secretary of Shri Mookambika Charitable Trust, said Iris is not intended to replace teachers. “The idea is to help students from a remote government school experience AI-driven learning,” he told TOI.A similar AI robot was introduced in a school in Kerala in 2024.The launch reflects the broader turnaround of the 111-year-old school. Enrolment fell from around 800 to 89 by 2015, with no admissions to class 1 for two consecutive years before that, raising fears of closure. Community members then formed a trust, led by Krishnamurthy Manja Maranakatte, and adopted the school.Student strength has since risen to 334. The school introduced English-medium education in 2016, received approval in 2019, and now has a computer lab, projectors in every classroom, and a smart interactive board installed five years ago.On Saturday, the school also inaugurated a ‘Balavana’ built at a cost of Rs 4 lakh, with Rs 2.8 lakh funded by the zilla panchayat, and hosted its annual science fest and Rainbow Fest featuring projects across seven subjects. GFXHead: Iris: AI Classroom Assistant* Developer: Maker Labs* Technology: Robotics, generative AI* Interface: Android-based application* Key features: Interactive learning modules* Hardware: Intel processor; co-processor for movement* Project cost: Rs 3.5 lakh* Funding: Alumni and supporters via WhatsApp group
