9,000 robotics labs for 2,000 schools, CM to inaugurate on Dec. 8

KITE to provide kits to schools for training, each kit to cost less than ₹1,000

Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty

Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education ( KITE), the edtech arm of the State government, is setting up 9,000 robotic labs in 2,000 high schools.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the robotics labs, to be taken up through Little KITEs, the largest ICT network of students in the country, here on December 8. State Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal will be the chief guest at the inauguration.

Addressing a press meet here on Saturday, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty said robotics was an important training component under the Little KITEs programme through which students in public schools had an opportunity to get hands-on training in the latest technology areas such as robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and so on. Moreover, the programming training involved would help enhance creative thinking and problem-solving ability of students, in turn helping study of all subjects. “This will facilitate innovative ways to increase the knowledge skills of students through fun learning”.

Each robotic kit deployed to schools comprises Arduino Uno Rev3, LEDs, SG90 mini servo motor, LDR light sensor module, IR sensor module, active buzzer module, push button, bread button, jumper wires, and resistors. The components supplied are within an affordable range. KITE will provide support to schools for sourcing additional spares, if required, by using the funds provided for Little KITEs units.

In addition to the deployment of robotic kits in schools, 4,000 KITE masters (teachers) would be trained with the help of a specific training module in using the equipment in schools. Through these KITE masters, training would be imparted directly to 60,000 students in class 9 who are members of Little KITEs. The Little KITES members, in turn, would train other students in Classes 8 to 10 with the support their KITE masters, benefiting over 12 lakh students in all, the Minister said.

Students would be trained in various activities, including development of traffic signal, automatic street light activated through light sensing, automatic door, security alarm, and so on at the school level. At the sub-district and district levels, they would be trained in development of equipment such a electronic voting machine, audio controlled home automation, and walking stick for the visually challenged.

Creation of computer games using Scratch, development of mobile apps using ‘App Inventor’ by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), artificial intelligence-based activities, are also provided to students as part of the programme.

KITE Chief Executive Officer K. Anvar Sadath said training in areas such as robotics or AI often involved a lot of investment, but KITE was providing a robotics kit that cost less than ₹1,000 to schools for undertaking activities using computers in school and free software.