Mrinal Kanti Banik
Agartala, April 27, 2019: Visit the Computer Science Laboratory of National Institute of Technology, Agartala- and to your utter surprise a little innocent machine—a “humanoid robot” is likely to welcome you in the laboratory and help you explore the new horizons of science and intelligence.
Of course, this is definitely true that many may not feel at ease if he or she is welcomed by a non-human entity into a place of visit. And, those who are not ‘adequately’ exposed to the modern scientific developments in the field of “Robotics” and “Artificial intelligence” may even face something bitter or in other words embarrassing experience. But then, this is also an experience that is at the end will turn out to be immensely ‘interesting’.
The robot that looks akin to a greater-size automated terminator toy has been entirely designed, programmed and assembled by the students of Computer science from various engineering colleges of Tripura under the guidance of HOD of computer science department of NIT,-Agartala Dr. Suman Deb. And with this, the NIT established itself as the lone NIT in the country that has achieved such a success in this field along with few international institutes.
Unlike the giant machines we do watch hoping, kicking and taking flips in the TV or Hollywood movies, the tiny little “robot” hops round the laboratory like a six year old child. It also has the abilities to transcript the human movements such as shaking hands, walking and moving other body parts. It can also mimic human voice recognising the language very similar to “Alexa” and “Google”. Touch sensitive sensors were also developed in the project which enables it react and feel human touch.
Speaking to the Tripura Times Newspaper, Dr Deb said, ‘the idea of developing such a project was derived from the immense enthusiasm of the students who were very keen to take up this as a thesis. Students, mostly, of the computer science and technology branch of NIT, ICFAI, Tripura University and Techno India later joined in the project and it got a new height’.
The “robot” was first officially launched in the year of 2018 during a national level seminar at NIT complex. And this year, it was re-launched with new features and developments during the five- day workshop on “Artificial Intelligence” last February, he added.
Speaking about the robot, he said, keeping the thought of Human-Robot” interaction in centre the project was undertaken. We have fixed gesture control, dialogue control, voice recognition, language control, 25 degree movement freedom and most importantly touch and voice sensor devices that differs it from the other such projects. Vision stimulations and speech transcription devices are also the unique characteristics of the project, he concluded.
(Courtesy: Tripura Times dt April 27, 2019)
