17-year-old UP student builds fully functional AI robot teacher that can talk, teach and answer questions in Hindi

AI Robot Sophie/YouTube

In Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, a quiet classroom has suddenly become a mini tech lab thanks to a determined 17-year-old student named Aditya Kumar. Studying in Class 12 at Shiv Charan Inter College, Aditya has built something that even many engineering graduates would hesitate to attempt. He has created a fully functional AI robot teacher, and he has named her Sophie.

The video of Sophie, which has gone viral on social media, was first shared by Aaj Tak. Standing at the front of the room, the robot introduces herself in clear Hindi: “Namaste. I am an AI teacher robot. My name is Sophie.” She then answers questions about India’s first President, explains basic science concepts and confidently tells students that she can “teach properly.” For a small-town school that doesn’t have many resources, it feels like a glimpse into a future no one expected to see so soon.

What makes Sophie even more impressive is the way Aditya built her. He had no formal robotics training, no dedicated lab, and no expensive tools. Instead, he started with something available in many Indian towns — a store mannequin. Sophie’s body is literally the torso and head of a mannequin you’d usually see in a clothing shop. Mannequins are light, hollow and easy to cut open, making them perfect for DIY robotics. Aditya carved spaces inside to fit speakers, wiring and a small AI chipset.

The “brain” of the robot runs on a processor capable of handling AI instructions. Through online videos and tutorials, Aditya taught himself how to connect speech recognition, a text-to-speech engine and a simple language model that allows Sophie to understand questions and respond aloud. He learned each part through trial and error, wiring and rewiring the system inside the hollow mannequin until the responses began to flow.

The entire robot is built using affordable components, a basic chipset, speakers, mics, cheap servo motors and whatever parts he could source locally. The body was painted and styled to look like a teacher, and the final assembly is pure Indian jugaad combined with genuine intelligence.

Teachers say Sophie could actually assist in classrooms, especially when staff are stretched thin. Students are fascinated, parents are proud and the district is buzzing with curiosity.

Aditya’s invention is a reminder that innovation in India isn’t limited to metro cities or elite institutes. Sometimes it appears in a modest classroom, built by a teenager armed with nothing more than YouTube, a mannequin and a mind that refuses to stop learning.