Move over Sophia, it is time to bring our focus on the first female humanoid robot that is made in India. Robot ‘Shalu’ is developed by Dinesh Patel who hails from a very small village, Rajmalpur, UP, and is a computer science teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Bombay. Being the Indian humanoid robot, Shalu can speak in 47 languages including nine Indian languages and 38 foreign languages. Let’s explore all the smart functionalities of Robot Shalu, which has made India proud in robotics.

After several years of hard work and effort to develop a humanoid robot from 100% discarded waste material that includes plastic, wood, cardboard, aluminum parts, and many more, Dinesh’s willingness came out successful. Robot Shalu has overtaken Sophia Robot in terms of its skills and functionalities. Dinesh Patel made sure that common people from different parts of India as well as international countries can meet Shalu and have a seamless conversation. This first female humanoid robot is dedicated to girls and women towards the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ mission. The computer science teacher showed the world that it is possible to build things with local materials and this Indian humanoid robot can compete in capabilities with those robots that are built with high-tech in resourceful laboratories around the world.

Shalu is world-known as the first social and educational Indian humanoid robot to speak 47 languages efficiently. The functionalities of this first female humanoid robot is mentioned in the Computer Science syllabus for class six in Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. Dinesh Patel took inspiration from India’s dream mission Atmanirbhar Bharat, ‘Skill India Mission, and Digital India Mission.

Smart functionalities of Shalu

Robot Shalu can answer in any language that is in the trained dataset with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. The robot can identify people with face recognition technology as well as remember these people after meeting. Object recognition technology can help Shalu identify different objects in any environment.

In the education field, the Indian humanoid robot can provide correct answers to all types of educational questions from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English, Geography, and many more subjects. She can start a casual conversation with people while solving different math problems.

The hands of Robot Shalu are flexible and can move around to show human behaviors and gestures such as a handshake, making fun, showing happiness, sadness, irritation, and other human moods. People do not need weather forecast news from the media, this first female humanoid robot can provide them with the weather report for the next ten days at different places.

If anyone wants to know about the daily horoscope, Shalu will be there to predict on the basis of the date of birth. It can also provide addresses of multiple popular places while giving reviews on movies and gadgets. Shalu has sufficient knowledge of other international countries and their whereabouts. These are just a few smart functionalities of this female robot, there are much more to explore.

Robot Shalu can be used as a teacher, quizmaster, receptionist, assistant to the elderly generation, and learning companion for students.

The first female humanoid robot can provide useful tips and personal views on the increasing number of female harassment cases, national days such as Women’s Day or Republic Day as well as how to protect Indian girls and women.

That being said, Dinesh Patel has shown the world that we should promote local talents in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics. He has created an ample scope to inspire the young generation to work on robots or humanoid robots with local materials. Shalu is the perfect example of adopting glocalization in this 21st century.