NIT Rourkela builds affordable AI social robot, bags patent
NIT Rourkela just scored a patent for its homegrown AI-powered social robot.
This friendly bot can chat naturally, recognize emotions, and pick up on gestures—making it handy in places like homes, classrooms, offices, or even hospitals.
The big win? It's designed to be accessible and practical for everyday use.
What can this robot actually do?
It understands regular speech, follows instructions, and holds conversations that feel pretty natural thanks to large language models (LLMs).
Spot someone waving or looking sad? The robot notices those cues too and responds empathetically.
It runs on a Raspberry Pi (so nothing fancy or expensive under the hood) and uses Google Text-to-Speech for replies—all at a price of ₹80,000-90,000.
How does it stack up against others?
Unlike pricey global robots loaded with exclusive hardware, this one keeps things simple but smart—delivering similar features at a much lower cost.
Real-time dialogue and emotion-sensing tech make it stand out without breaking the bank.