Autonomous robots are widely used in education, industries, defence and healthcare, but many struggle to move safely in changing environments.

KREIS school students make their mark at national technology contest with creations that tackle unique challenges, highlighting how STEM education in schools has been strengthened

Two teams of students from Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) schools have garnered national recognition by securing a place among the top 100 winners at the AI Tinkerpreneur 2025 event. The students, from Class 8 and Class 9, showcased innovative technology-based projects that highlight how artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) are slowly becoming part of government school education.

The selected teams are from the Morarji Desai Residential School and PU Science College, S Hosakote, in Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district. The students worked under the guidance of Roshan Ara Begum, computer science educator and Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) in-charge at the school.

Creative solutions

The first team, comprising Paartha Nayak M and Manish R from Class 8, developed a low-cost heart beat monitor for real-time heart rate tracking. The second team, Mahadev R, Shashank S and Pranam M from Class 9, created an obstacle-avoiding robot designed to move safely without human control. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, often because problems are detected too late. Existing heart rate monitoring devices are either expensive, limited to hospitals, or not easily available to the public. Keeping this in mind, the students designed a simple heartbeat monitoring device using sensors and microcontrollers. The device measures and displays heart rate in real time and can be developed as a wearable gadget, a portable learning model for students, or even as part of hospital monitoring systems. The project focuses on early detection, affordability and easy access.

The second project, Obstacle Avoiding Robot, addresses a key challenge in robotics: safe navigation. Autonomous robots are widely used in education, industries, defence and healthcare, but many struggle to move safely in changing environments. The students’ robot uses sensors to detect obstacles and avoid them on its own. Such systems are becoming increasingly important with the growing use of automation, AI and smart machines in everyday life.

Nurturing talent

Speaking about the achievement, Roshan Ara Begum said that platforms like Atal Tinkering Labs are bringing real change to government schools. “In government schools, resources are usually limited. But with ATL facilities, students are able to think differently and come up with new ideas. Every child has talent. We just need to give them the opportunity,” she said. She added that through programmes like Tinkerpreneur, students not only build models but also learn to explain how their ideas can be used in real life. Selected students also get exposure to advanced-level training from experts.