Sirena Technologies is on a Mission to Impact the Education System through Robotics
Who says robotics are for adults only! Here is an innovator who is making it possible for children to try their hand at Robotics. Mr Hariharan Bojan from Sirena Technologies is on a mission to impact the education system through Robotics. A mission which is enabling learning through robots and learning about robotics in Preschool, Primary, Middle and High school.
Q. What have you innovated?
A. We have innovated the only humanoid for education called NINO which will enhance the learning process of robotics and regular subjects, reaching out to k-12 segment. Our unique offering is the SKIP curriculum which seamlessly integrates robotics with regular subjects.
Q. What problems does your innovation solve?
A. We aim to solve a larger problem at hand. Technology and innovation are seen as challenges and attempted only after a certain age usually through engineering graduation. We want to change that whole perception. The access to any innovation, science and technology from a young age gives them the freedom to not just explore but gives children endless opportunities to grow and do better.
Q. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
A. The challenges are a bit unusual in our case. Mostly, it lies in helping people understand the cutting-edge technology that we are leading in. Most of them have limited knowledge about high end robotics and the plethora of platforms it can open them up to including AI, ML, Data science etc. Getting people inside the education system to wrap thoughts around high end technology pose challenges as they are yet to understand fully, the progression that the world is headed towards.
Q. Where did you get the inspiration to come out with this innovation?
A. As an entrepreneur I always had a different take on the future. Coming from an engineering background, having established successful companies in leading spaces and travelled the world, I was aching to do something big, to help reach out the young mind. What better than to start with technology and education which is a dream space in my heart.
I have always been curious and that’s what leads me to explore and venture into businesses. When I had the opportunity to travel around, I saw a growing gap in real robotics, the leading technologies and the product companies who were catering to this. Being an engineer at heart and a firm believer of education to manifest changes in real world, this offered me the sense of fulfilment to cover both causes close to heart. There has been no looking back since.
Q. Share one interesting incident from your innovation journey with our readers
A. Well, there are many incidents. Something out of fresh memory is the first version and to make NINO walk was a humongous task. What differentiates a robot to a humanoid is the ability of its functionality. Most humanoids are on wheel, the major milestone is to make them walk because it involves the science and mechanism of actual walk and the process of making this happen and to have achieved is a dream realized!
Q. Describe a normal day at work for you.
A. In a word, hectic. I usually start my day by mid noon and work till wee hours in the morning. We follow a 7-day weekend culture. But there’s more than just work happening. Our office is always buzzing with a young crowd. I walk into office on a Monday afternoon and there’s a fashion show in progress. There is music blazing, people doing chit chat non-stop, more crowd in the pantry than at work desks. Yet, it leaves me amazed that so much work gets done and it never feels like work. I think that it’s the passion about what we do. This has been a family and a second home in that sense.
Q. What do you like to do in your free time?
A. Science and technology amaze me and so do movies. I tend to watch movies of all genres in little time I get to spare.
Q. What lies next for your innovation?
A. This is big! What we are currently doing is leading edge and is opening new avenues for us. Sky is the limit to where we are headed. From an educational space we are moving into direct consumer space making Nino — Home friendly bots where it could assist you in your daily life.
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