Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have developed a human-like social robot capable of interacting with people in natural, intuitive ways. Built using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), the system can understand everyday language, follow spoken instructions, answer questions, and engage in real-time conversations beyond fixed, pre-programmed responses.
The robot can also recognise human emotions by analysing facial expressions such as happy, neutral, or sad, and respond with natural-sounding speech. It detects simple gestures, including waving or raising a hand, and reacts appropriately, making it suitable for use in homes, classrooms, hospitals, offices and community spaces.
“This indigenously developed system aligns with the Government of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Unlike existing global systems, NIT Rourkela’s social robot offers an integrated framework combining gesture, emotion, speech and LLM-based conversational abilities within a cost-effective platform suited to Indian needs,” said Dr. Anup Nandy, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, NIT Rourkela.
The institute has also secured a patent for the innovation. The robot uses a Raspberry Pi setup to process voice or text inputs, which are analysed by the LLM to understand context and produce human-like responses. The output is delivered through a speech system powered by Google Text-to-Speech.
Equipped with wheels for mobility and a distance-sensing module for obstacle avoidance, the robot can navigate safely in crowded environments. According to the researchers, the platform—detailed in a paper published in the journal Computers and Electrical Engineering—is expected to cost between ₹80,000 and ₹90,000 depending on production scale and component optimisation.
-IANS
