07 - 08 - 2026

Iris: The Robot Teacher Inspiring Young Minds in India

When the school bell rings at St Teresa’s ICSE School in Mangaluru, students are no longer heading only to classrooms. Many make a beeline for the AI Lab, where a teacher in a traditional Indian outfit smiles, winks, shakes hands—and answers almost every question thrown at her.

Meet Iris, an Artificial Intelligence-powered robot that is changing the way children learn. Ask her a tricky algebra problem in Kannada, a question on the solar system in English, a history doubt in Hindi or even a science query in Tamil, and within seconds comes a crisp, confident answer in the same language (in which the question was asked).

Glimpse of the future

For the children, it is a glimpse of the future. For teachers, it is a teaching companion. And for the school, it is a bold experiment in blending technology with education.

Unlike the cold, metallic robots often seen in science-fiction films, Iris has a welcoming presence. Draped in traditional attire, she greets students with a smile, recognises those standing before her, offers a handshake and patiently listens before responding. Curiosity quickly replaces hesitation as children gather around the humanoid teacher.

Powered by advanced AI and natural language processing, Iris remains connected to the internet and is capable of handling everything from current affairs and complex mathematical formulas to literature, geography and space science. More importantly, she does so in a language the student is most comfortable with.

The school has integrated Iris into its AI Lab, where students from Classes I to XI spend a dedicated period every week interacting with the robot. Rather than replacing teachers, the robot acts as a learning assistant, helping clarify concepts, revise lessons and provide concise, exam-oriented explanations.

“We wanted technology to become a bridge to better learning rather than a distraction,” says Headmistress Sister Ludes. The school, which established its AI Lab three years ago, believes the robot has made learning more interactive while giving teachers another tool to simplify difficult concepts.

Teachers, too, see Iris as an ally. Instead of searching through textbooks or waiting for the next class, students can instantly verify facts or clear doubts. The multilingual capability has proved especially useful for younger children who are still becoming comfortable with English.

For students preparing for examinations, Iris offers something teachers often struggle to provide within limited class time—quick, precise definitions and structured explanations that are easy to remember.

As India pushes deeper into the age of artificial intelligence, classrooms are also evolving. Smart boards, tablets and online learning have already become familiar sights. With Iris, Mangaluru has taken another step forward, placing a robot at the front of the classroom—not to replace the human teacher, but to remind us that the classroom of tomorrow may be one where humans and machines learn, teach and grow together.

In a city known for its educational institutions, the newest teacher may well be the one who never gets tired, never forgets a fact, and always has time for one more question.