Class 12 student from Uttar Pradesh develops AI classroom robot

A Class 12 student in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, has drawn national attention after building an AI-powered teacher model that has quickly gone viral.

Seventeen-year-old Aditya Kumar from Shiv Charan Inter College created the mannequin-like model, named Sophie, using what he describes as an “LLM-based chipset.”

A classroom demonstration of the creation was recorded and widely circulated online.

In the video, Sophie introduces herself to the class, claims she teaches in the school, and invites questions from students.

Aditya then asks general knowledge questions, and the model replies with answers such as “Dr Rajendra Prasad” when asked about India’s first President and “Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru” when asked about the first Prime Minister.

The interaction drew enthusiastic reactions from students and teachers, impressed by the teenager’s effort.

Although many online users have been referring to Sophie as a robot, the device appears to function more like a mannequin connected to an AI-driven voice assistant rather than a fully autonomous humanoid.

Viewers highlighted that the responses are likely powered by a cloud-based large language model accessed through an API, while the physical structure serves as an interface.

Speaking about his project, Aditya said he used a chipset commonly employed by robotics companies and added, “I have used an LLM chipset to build this robot. It can clear students' doubts. For now, she can only speak, but we are designing it so she can write as well soon.”

He also said more research spaces were needed, adding, “There should be a lab in every district so students can come there and do research.”

However, there is no physical “LLM chipset” because large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude run on powerful servers and GPU clusters instead of small hardware chips.

Student-led robotics projects often rely on a microcontroller or a single-board computer connected to an online AI model.

These setups typically include Arduino boards, ESP32, Raspberry Pi devices, or Jetson Nano units that send user queries to a cloud-based AI system and play back the responses through text-to-speech.

In such designs, servo motors or stepper motors handle basic movements like turning the head or lifting an arm.

The viral video of Sophie shows this kind of motion, synchronized with speech output, suggesting the model uses a standard combination of speech recognition, online LLM processing and preprogrammed motor movements.

Students in the room responded with excitement as Sophie gave answers confidently.

Teachers at the school praised Aditya’s creativity and said the project shows how students are experimenting with AI technologies even without access to advanced laboratories.

The innovation has sparked conversations about the growing interest in robotics, AI and STEM experimentation among school-going students in India.

The video surfaces shortly after Kerala introduced India’s first generative AI-driven teacher named Iris.

Launched in March 2024 at KTCT Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram, Iris was developed by Makerlabs Edutech Private Limited.

The humanoid was designed to assist teachers and personalize learning through AI tools, setting the stage for young innovators like Aditya to explore their own classroom AI concepts.