FIELD
The present disclosure relates to educational systems and devices.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Education is essential for any country to prosper. Education is a kind of human-specific talent training activities composed of teacher’s teaching and student’s learning. Through this kind of activity, the teacher guides students to learn and master the knowledge and grasp cultural and technical skills in a purposeful, planned and organized manner. Education decides the overall quality of students, making them the people needed by the society.
India, being an amalgamation of various different regions, had enforced the Right to Education Act in 2009 as a step to provide good education in the remotest of villages of the country. However, several programs provided by successive governments have failed to ensure that the students are getting quality education. Some of the reasons identified as a hurdle in providing quality education include: lack of infrastructure, unavailability of good quality content in regional languages, unavailability of quality teachers, efficiency of available teachers to assess the level of understanding of every child student, continuous attendance of students and lack of traditional energy sources, e.g., electricity.
Towards this end, some efforts have been made to make quality education available and accessible to all through the use of technology.
CN106228982A discloses an interactive learning system-based education service robot having a movable robot body and a sound output 3D holographic projection to teach users.
Likewise, CN205614684U discloses a preschool education robot having features like a solar cell panel acting as an energy source, power storage capabilities, and LED (light emitting diode) banks for lighting, steering wheels for motion, audio capabilities, obstacle avoidance capabilities, and guiding features.
These devices may prove highly beneficial in developed nations and would surely be of great value for the education system such countries follow. However, considering a highly diverse and still developing country like India, these might not be of much help considering the issues such developing countries face.
For example, in India, providing quality education to rural areas has its own challenges. Despite continued electrification in past decade or so, various remote areas are still not electrified fully. Students who gets enrol start skipping classes for various reasons and there is no way to gauge how many students attend classes daily. The same applies for teachers as well whose attendance is also a cause of concern. Further, considering the number of languages that are spoken in a country like India, it is very difficult to have a standard teaching technology catering to everyone.
There is, therefore, a long felt need for an interactive educational system and a method thereof that alleviates the requirement of nonpartisan quality education for each child in remote or rural areas in their regional language in a diverse and developing country like India.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an interactive educational system that is self-sufficient and requires minimal or no human intervention in providing quality education to students in the remotest of areas of a given country.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-sufficient system that facilitates providing quality education to students in a language of preference.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-sufficient interactive educational system that automatically gauges the learning of each student and accordingly modify the teaching pattern based on the learning for each student.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-sufficient interactive educational system that ensures attendance of students and takes a record of the same to address falling interest levels/dropout issues.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a self-sufficient interactive educational system.
The system comprises an electronic control unit, a database, an interactive teaching unit, an input unit and an imaging device.
The electronic control unit configured to control a functioning of each of the sub-system. The database configured to store educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student.
The interactive teaching unit configured to cooperate with the database to predict an understanding of each of the student based on an assessment of the worksheet data provided to each of the student and the attendance of the student.
The input unit configured to receive input from each of the student attending a class and to work on the worksheet.
In an embodiment, the input unit includes a biometric unit configured to capture biometric information of each of the student. The biometric unit captures facial data, voice data and gesture data, and is further configured to compare the captured data with the captured biometric information to analyses presence of the student in the class.
The imaging device configured to capture frequency and activities of each of the student and receive audio commands to instruct the student.
In an embodiment, the imaging device includes:
• a video capturing device configured to capture activities of the students; and
• an audio device configured to receive audio commands to instruct the students.
In an embodiment, the system includes a display unit configured to display the educational content to the students.
The electronic control unit, the interactive teaching unit, the input unit, the renewable power source and the imaging device are implemented using one or more processor(s).
The present disclosure envisages a method to self-analyze interactive education. The steps include:
• encasing, by a body, a plurality of sub-systems and adapting to move on wheels powered by a renewable power source configured to provide power to each of the sub-system;
• controlling, by an electronic control unit, a functioning of each of the sub-system;
• storing, by a database, educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student;
• storing, by a database, educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student;
• receiving, by an input unit, input from each of the student attending a class and to work on the worksheet; and
• capturing, by an imaging device, frequency and activities of each of the student and receive audio commands to instruct the student.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A self-sufficient interactive educational system and a method thereof, of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a self-sufficient interactive educational system;
Figure 2 illustrates a flow diagram depicting steps involved in a method for implementing self-sufficient interactive education; and
Figure 3 illustrates the system as an education service robot.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND DRAWING
100 System
102 Body
104 Electronic Control Unit
106 Interactive Teaching Unit
108 Database
110 Input Unit
112 Display Unit
114 Renewable Power Source
116 Imaging device
116a Video capturing device
116b Audio device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
The present disclosure envisages a self-sufficient interactive educational system which is designed specifically to address the challenges of the educational system a diverse and developing nation like India currently faces. In India, for example, there is a huge disparity between rural and urban life. In metropolitan cities, one can find schools with almost all the modern facilities and teaching equipment, such as projectors, lighting, audio/video systems and other related equipment to provide a holistic learning experience for kids. However, in remote or rural areas, the picture is a complete contrast. Rural schools deal with multiple issues ranging from infrastructure to electricity to availability of quality teachers.
Traditional interactive educational systems are basically designed for schools located in urban areas having the desired infrastructure and other capabilities that are essentially required. In urban area, schools have an uninterrupted supply of electricity required to run various interactive teaching equipment. Attendance can be marked using different systems for both teachers and students. In contrast, in remote and rural areas, the supply of electricity is either scarce or aperiodic. The presence of teachers as well as students in also on and off and the overall effect is such that many students stop going to schools after sometime.
Towards this end, the present disclosure envisages a self-sufficient interactive educational system that not only addresses all of the above stated issues but also provides a viable alternative to the conventional teaching systems through the use of technology.
A self-sufficient interactive educational system is now being described with reference to Figure 1 through Figure 3.
Referring to Figure 1, the self-sufficient interactive educational system (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as “system 100”) have a plurality of sub-systems encased in a body (102) adapted to move on wheels powered by a renewable power source (114) configured to provide power to each of the sub-system.
The system (100) comprises an electronic control unit (104), a database (108), an interactive teaching unit (106), an input unit (110) and an imaging device (116).
The electronic control unit (104) configured to control a functioning of each of the sub-system. The database (108) configured to store educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student.
The interactive teaching unit (106) configured to cooperate with the database (108) to predict an understanding of each of the student based on an assessment of the worksheet data provided to each of the student and the attendance of the student.
The input unit (110) configured to receive input from each of the student attending a class and to work on the worksheet.
In an embodiment, the input unit (110) includes a biometric unit (110a) configured to capture biometric information of each of the student. The biometric unit (110a) captures facial data, voice data and gesture data, and is further configured to compare the captured data with the captured biometric information to analyses presence of the student in the class.
The imaging device (116) configured to capture frequency and activities of each of the student and receive audio commands to instruct the student.
In an embodiment, the imaging device (116) includes:
• a video capturing device (116a) configured to capture activities of the students; and
• an audio device (116b) configured to receive audio commands to instruct the students.
In an embodiment, the system (100) includes a display unit (112) configured to display the educational content to the students.
The electronic control unit (104), the interactive teaching unit (106), the input unit (110), the renewable power source (114) and the imaging device (116) are implemented using one or more processor(s).
The processors disclosed herein may be general-purpose processors, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and/or the like. The processors may be configured to retrieve data from and/or write data to a memory/repository. The memory/repository can be for example, a random access memory (RAM), a memory buffer, a hard drive, a database, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk, a floppy disk, cloud storage, and/or so forth
In an embodiment, each of the students is provided with a unique identity (UID) following first time identification/registration, the UID including details of a student such as age, name gender, biometric data, educational background and the like.
Once the system (100) identifies the presence of students attending a class, the system (100) activates the interactive teaching unit (106). The interactive teaching unit (106) is configured to work in tandem with the display unit (112) to present teaching material to the students. In an example, a topic in the form of text/audio/visual content is presented for the students on the display unit (112). The text/audio/visual content pre-stored in the database 108 is fetched and displayed on the display unit (112). In an embodiment, the display unit (112) may project the content onto a background as well. Once the topic is over, the system (100) provides a series of questions/assignments in the form of a worksheet to each of the students to assess a level of each of the students. For the purpose, each of the students may serially take up the questions/assignments using the display unit (112), which, in an embodiment, provides for an interactive user interface, and submit their answers through the interactive user interface itself. In another embodiment, the students are provided with a dongle (not shown) on which they can receive the worksheet and answer the questions as put up by the system 100. The dongle, in an embodiment, is associated with each of the students through their unique IDs and is configured to communicate with the system using, for example, Bluetooth®. However, it will be appreciated that the dongle may communicate with the system (100) using other existing network protocols as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art.
Based on the response of the students as received by the interactive teaching unit (106) to the worksheet, the system (100) predicts an understanding of each student by assessing worksheet data of each student in communication with the database 108.
In an embodiment, the imaging device (116) is configured to capture gestures, sounds and activities of the students present in a class to ascertain a level of interest of the students. Based on this data, the interactive teaching unit (106) assesses the interest as well as learning of each student. In an embodiment, the assessment data is stored in the database (108) along with such student-specific data generated during a teaching session and is used to provide a holistic assessment of each of the students. In an embodiment, the system (100) is configured to share all of the data captured during the teaching sessions to a cloud server, which is further processed using machine learning techniques to bring out actionable intelligence for the system (100). This actionable intelligence is used by the system (100) to more effectively assess a learning cycle of each student and improve upon it.
All of the above features as discussed are controlled by the electronic control unit (ECU) (104), which in addition to these, also controls the functioning of the system (100) as well. For example, the ECU (104) is configured to control a movement of the system (100) from one place to another, movement around its central axis, movement of the imaging device (116). For the purpose, the ECU (104) is in communication with a plurality of motion control means and devices (not shown) provided in the system (100) such as motors, motion transmission means, braking means, rotating means and/or couplings as are known in the art.
In an embodiment, the input unit (110) is configured to receive a software program specific to the system (100) and configure the interactive teaching unit (106), for example, for upgradation or maintenance.
In an embodiment, the system (100) analyses the combined input received from each of the sub-systems discussed above to predict a learning capacity of each student individually and based on that, creates a library of study material for each student containing educational content as per his/her individual requirements.
Referring to Figure 3, the system (100) can be an education service robot which is a humanoid, autonomous and intelligent robot platform equipped with a wide variety of sensors (Sonar, infrared, depth-perception camera) to ensure smooth movement through its environment and is non-bipedal, it has bidirectional wheels with differential drive capabilities. The system (100) offers multiple teacher service-oriented features:
• can communicate effectively thanks to highly sensitive facial and emotional recognition functions;
• offers different ways of interacting with students – vision, voice, text, action – for a richer experience;
• has a video conferencing tool making it easier for teachers to communicate;
• recharges itself automatically by journeying to its dock after 4 hours of continuous use;
• designed primarily to improve students' learning experience be at the classroom or in a home and can assist students from the very beginning of their journey, providing all the necessary help and information;
• an invaluable source of help for schools wanting to collect, store and analyses student’s data by implementing data analytics functions;
• provides first-hand “digital” experience for students;
• provides built in “digital: audio-video” curriculum for primary and secondary school children for better understanding of the syllabus;
• monitors and evaluates students, teachers and schools at real time;
• provides parental mobile application to stay connected with school at real time;
• provides attendance management system;
• connects the Internet of Things; and
• provides content delivered in local Language for better understanding of students.
In an embodiment, the system (100) helps to design the social interactions by touchscreen, gaze control and versatile gestures, and can accelerate, adapt and control the human-robot interaction side. The curvy humanoid design as well as its LED eyes and voice can be adapted to needs to promote student engagement and grow awareness. The system (100) can be applied to healthcare, retail, education, automotive events, finance, public institutions, and hospitality.
The system (100) self-analyzes the students learning record and the teaching process record. In an embodiment, the students may be provided with a user device such as a PDA for them to take the assignments to home and submit the same subsequently, either through network connectivity or through the input unit or through the Bluetooth dongle®. Further, the system (100) comprehensively analyzes, evaluates and summarizes the level of learning of every student and proposes the next stage of teaching.
The applications of the system (100) are:
• increase motivations, improve skills, and problem- solving by collectable and programmable teaching tools.
• can recall new vocabulary enhanced and can find a positive frequency of interaction and learning achievement.
• can be used as instructing assistants to accompany and encourage learners to engage and learn more.
• taking attendance of the students, conversation, reactions to touching different points, quizzes, making stories, and roleplaying.
• repeats educational activities many times without complaining.
• permits instructors to design and adjust proper robot supported educational activities for instructional needs.
• help to preserve the digital data.
• engaging and provokes enthusiasm and curiosity among children and increases learners’ motivation to practice skills joyfully in a more real- life way.
• accompanied with different gestures to not only arouse motivation but also lead and help children to use suitable gestures while talking.
• ability to interact with children effectively is one of the basic functions to become a teaching assistant.
• equipped with artificial intelligence that helps them to communicate with humans and computers.
• can represent different emotions: for example, hope, joy, fear, dislike, neutrality, pride, sadness, shame, surprise, distress, embarrassment.
Figure 2 illustrates a flow diagram depicting steps involved in a method (200) for implementing self-sufficient interactive education. The steps include:
• Step 202: encasing, by a body (102), a plurality of sub-systems and adapting to move on wheels powered by a renewable power source (114) configured to provide power to each of the sub-system;
• Step 204: controlling, by an electronic control unit (104), a functioning of each of the sub-system;
• Step 206: storing, by a database (108), educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student;
• Step 208: storing, by a database (108), educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of the student and worksheet data submitted by each of the student;
• Step 210: receiving, by an input unit (110), input from each of the student attending a class and to work on the worksheet; and
• Step 212: capturing, by an imaging device (116), frequency and activities of each of the student and receive audio commands to instruct the student.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a self-sufficient interactive educational system and a method thereof, that:
• provides education in remote or rural areas;
• provides quality education in any regional language;
• provides same level of education;
• functions on renewable source of energy;
• alleviates the need of quality teachers in a school; and
• alleviates the need of availability of infrastructure in a school.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprises”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, step, or group of elements, steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, step, or group of elements, or steps.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

WE CLAIM:

1. A self-sufficient interactive educational system (100) having a plurality of sub-systems encased in a body (102) adapted to move on wheels powered by a renewable power source (114) configured to provide power to each of said sub-system, said system (100) comprising:
• an electronic control unit (104) configured to control a functioning of each of said sub-system;
• a database (108) configured to store educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of said student and worksheet data submitted by each of said student;
• an interactive teaching unit (106) configured to cooperate with said database (108) to predict an understanding of each of said student based on an assessment of said worksheet data provided to each of said student and said attendance of said student;
• an input unit (110) configured to receive input from each of said student attending a class and to work on said worksheet; and
• an imaging device (116) configured to capture frequency and activities of each of said student and receive audio commands to instruct said student,
wherein said electronic control unit (104), said interactive teaching unit (106), said input unit (110), said renewable power source (114) and said imaging device (116) are implemented using one or more processor(s).

2. The system (100) as claimed in claim1 includes a display unit (112) configured to display said educational content to said students.

3. The system (100) as claimed in claim1, wherein said input unit (110) includes a biometric unit (110a) configured to capture biometric information of each of said student.

4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said biometric unit (110a) capture facial data, voice data and gesture data, and is further configured to compare said captured data with said captured biometric information to analyses presence of said student in said class.

5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said imaging device (116) includes:

• a video capturing device (116a) configured to capture activities of said students; and
• an audio device (116b) configured to receive audio commands to instruct said students.

6. A method (200) for implementing self-sufficient interactive education, said method (200) comprises the steps of:
• encasing (202), by a body (102), a plurality of sub-systems and adapting to move on wheels powered by a renewable power source (114) configured to provide power to each of said sub-system;
• controlling (204), by an electronic control unit (104), a functioning of each of said sub-system;
• storing (206), by a database (108), educational content for a plurality of students in at least one language of preference, attendance data of each of said student and worksheet data submitted by each of said student;
• predicting (208), by an interactive teaching unit (106), an understanding of each of said student based on an assessment of said worksheet data provided to each of said student and said attendance of said student;
• receiving (210), by an input unit (110), input from each of said student attending a class and to work on said worksheet; and
• capturing (212), by an imaging device (116), frequency and activities of each of said student and receive audio commands to instruct said student.