Low-cost humanoid robot ‘Anushka’ engineered by UP college students

Imagine walking into an office or hotel and being greeted by a humanoid. This may soon become a reality. Humanoids are already quite popular in many developed countries, and they are expected to become more common in India soon. A group of students have created a remarkable humanoid that is earning much praise. 

According to a report by The Indian Express, the humanoid robot named 'Anushka' was developed by students and teachers at Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology (KIET) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Anushka was first introduced in March 2024. It is designed to welcome visitors, provide instructions, and answer questions. Its creators believe that, beyond serving as a robotic receptionist, Anushka could also be used in sectors such as healthcare and consultancy. The robot was developed using Artificial Intelligence, including technologies from OpenAI.

Features

As per the report, this robot cost only Rs 2 lakh to create, whereas humanoids in foreign countries typically require huge investments. Some components for Anushka were sourced from a local junkyard. It was developed at a low cost with the help of generative AI. Anushka can communicate with people using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and includes features such as facial recognition, a 30-megapixel webcam, and a microphone.

What are Humanoids?

Humanoids are robots that are designed to look and act like humans. They have human-like features such as a head, arms, and legs, and are built to perform tasks or interact with people in a way that resembles human behaviour.

The first humanoid robot was WABOT-1. Created in 1973 by Waseda University in Japan, WABOT-1 was one of the first robots made to imitate human actions. It could walk, hold things, and interact with its surroundings, marking an important step in developing robots that can work and interact in human environments.

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