Barishal’s own Robo Boy
When Sophia, a life-like robot that can effortlessly talk to humans, visited Bangladesh and replied to any question thrown at her, people all around were blown away. Among those people was a spirited teenager from a small village in Barishal, who was not only impressed but also inspired. This young boy, Shuvo Karmaker, one fine day decided that, he too, will build a robot in the likes of Sophia.
Soon enough, the tenth-grader managed to do just that, and even added a bit of his flair. While Sophia can only speak English – Shuvo’s robot, Robin – is bilingual. That’s right, Robin can communicate in both English and Bangla.
Residents of Gaila village, where Shuvo lives, now call him the “Robot Boy”. Shuvo had a regular childhood like everyone else: he goes to Gaila Secondary High School and stays with his parents. What sets him apart is that he fully took advantage of what little opportunities of growth were in front of him.
“When I started, I had no experience with any of this. So, I tried to learn about robotics and programming from the internet,” reminisced Shuvo. “I still remember, when my friends used to play in the afternoon, I would go home and immediately sit in front of the computer, going from one website to another and learning all there is about programming.”
“And now I am enjoying the benefits of all those countless days of tinkering,” he said.
His biggest project yet, however, came to be after he witnessed Sophia. “After seeing Sofia, the thought of making a similar robot at minimal costs came to me. And on top of that, since Sofia can’t speak Bangla, I wanted to add that feature too,” Shuvo said.
Shuvo started to build Robin on May 25, 2018 and it took him about eight months to finish the initial project, with a budget of just around Tk 25,000. “Robotics is an expensive hobby, but Robin was made with minimal costs, which proves that making such robots is quite affordable for everyone,” he said.
Making Robin was not only affordable but accessible as well. Shuvo managed to acquire all the hardware from local shops in Dhaka and Barishal, and the biggest market of all – online.
But Robin isn’t all talk and no action; it has several useful features. “Robin is a self-learning robot that can learn by itself,” Shuvo explained. The robot uses machine-learning algorithms to process information.
One notable feature relies on a sensor installed inside Robin that can detect signs of fire and send location information to the nearest fire service office via Google Maps.
But that’s not all. Robin is also a treasure trove of information. It can interact with children to teach them the basics of multiple subjects and can provide valuable insights to farmers on how to care for their crops.
“I’m working to improve Robin even further. The robot doesn’t have eyesight at the moment and moves using its wheels. But in future, it will be able to walk and see everyone,” Shuvo hoped.
For Shuvo, this fascination with science and technology goes way back. “I have been immersed in these subjects from an early age, and I used to daydream about new technologies and scientific breakthroughs,” he said.
And he was rewarded for this very fascination in many instances of his life. For his multiple accolades, Shuvo received an award from Dr Dipu Moni on July 5 last year and another at the National Children’s Prize held in 2018. He was also honoured with an award from Science and Technology Affairs Minister Yeafesh Osman at The National Science and Technology Fair on June 26, 2018.
But perhaps the greatest reward of all is being appreciated by one’s family. “We are happy and proud of our son, and we will continue to support him to follow his passion,” said Santosh Karmekar, Shuvo’s father.
“If I get enough support, I can improve Robin even more. We want Bengalis to reach further heights in the field of robotics, so that we can build a robot even better than Sofia,” said a hopeful Shuvo.
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