Two Kerala 14-year-olds build 'Smriti 1.0' manuscript digitization robot
Two 14-year-olds from Kerala, Cathlin Marie Jeesan and Navika D. Nair, built Smriti 1.0, a robot that gently cleans, preserves, and digitizes fragile palm-leaf manuscripts.
These old texts are often damaged by moisture and mold, so their invention is a big deal for keeping India's history alive.
Smriti 1.0 won first prize at the World Robot Olympiad India Nationals in Hyderabad.
Suction robot cleans and OCRs manuscripts
Smriti 1.0 uses a suction-based mechanism to move the leaves onto a conveyor, where rollers remove dust, applies lemongrass oil, dries them carefully, and scans the text with OCR tech, while the students are working on improving the system's ability to recognize older forms of Malayalam script.
The project is especially important for preserving works like those of mathematician Madhava of Sangamagrama.
Next up: Cathlin and Navika have earned a chance to represent India at the international competition in Puerto Rico in December, showing how tech can help safeguard priceless knowledge for future generations.