Ranchi-based techie builds the Indian version of humanoid robot ‘Sophia’

Answer: Robots

Ranjit Srivastava from Ranchi, Bihar has developed a humanoid robot named 'Rashmi', on the lines of 'Sophia', a Hong Kong-based social humanoid robot. The robot is fluent in English and Indian languages - Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Marathi.

As per a report by Hindustan Times, the 38-year-old developer has claimed that ‘Rashmi’ is India’s first lip-synching robot and the world’s first Hindi speaking realistic humanoid robot. The robot uses artificial intelligence (AI), visual data, linguistic interpretation (LI) and facial recognition systems to deliver the results.

Srivastava explains, “Rashmi functions under a specially designed software and linguistic interpretation system developed by me. The LI programme analyses the feeling of the conversation while AI program analyses the conversation to extract the response from the device”.

Srivastava, proprieter of Lotus Communication, a Ranchi-based software company, is an MBA and has been in the field of software development for over 15 years. He claims to have developed the speaking robot in two years, at a cost of Rs 50,000.

He added that it will take a month more to give it a complete shape of a human.

The robot also has expressions of the face, eyes, lips, and eyebrows, and it can move its neck also. It robot recognises a person after few meetings and it can talk for hours.

Srivastava claims that he had developed the e-Nibandhan portal for the registration department, which also fetched him a SKOCH award. He has also developed an e-library for information and public relation department, and a national award-winning tourism portal for the tourism department.