To build a simple robot, a student must use physics to understand motion, math to calculate distances, and logic to write code. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
IIn the quiet corners of many Indian classrooms, the laws of physics and the logic of mathematics are often reduced to ink on paper. Students can recite the speed of sound or the coordinates of a map, but many would struggle to apply these concepts to a real problem. As we move deeper into the 21st century, the gap between “knowing” and “doing” is becoming one that our current education system must bridge. The solution lies not in thicker textbooks, but in the practical world of coding and robotics.
Recently, while working on a prototype of an automatic obstacle detection system, I experienced a “eureka” that no lecture could provide. The project was simple in theory: use ultrasonic sensors to detect objects and a GPS/GSM module to send location alerts via SMS. However, the real education began when the theory failed.
When the sensors gave erratic readings, I had to delve into the physics of sound reflection. When GPS failed to acquire a signal, I had to understand satellite geometry and signal interference. When the code crashed because of a missing semicolon, I learned the ruthless but vital logic of computer programming. This is “active learning” — a pedagogical approach where the student is no longer a passive vessel for information, but an active creator of solutions.
Mandatory coding and robotics in schools is often criticized as adding an additional “burden” to students who are already overwhelmed by a heavy curriculum. However, this view misses the point. Robotics is not a separate subject; it is the ultimate “interdisciplinary” tool. To build a simple robot, a student must use physics to understand motion, math to calculate distances, and logic to write code. It turns abstract concepts into tangible reality. When the student sees the sensor respond to their hand, the inverse quadrature physics law is no longer a formula to be memorized in an exam; it’s a tool they control.
Additionally, hands-on technology education builds “resilience.” In a traditional exam, a mistake is a failure. In robotics, a bug is a “bug”. It’s a challenge to problem solve, analyze and try again. This shift in mindset, from fear of failure to acceptance of “tuning,” is perhaps the most important life skill we can teach the next generation.
It also has a social dimension. When students are encouraged to build, they begin to see the world through the lens of empathy. A student building an obstacle detector isn’t just playing with wires; they think about the visually impaired or the safety of senior citizens. They learn that technology is not just for entertainment, but a powerful tool for social good.
As India positions itself as a global technology hub, our schools need to move beyond the ‘reverse learning’ model. We need to democratize access to microcontrollers and sensors and ensure that a student in a rural public school has the same opportunity to “build” as a student in a private metropolitan school.
The goal of education should not be to create walking encyclopedias, but to create thinkers, tinkerers and problem solvers. By incorporating hands-on robotics into our compulsory curriculum, we can ensure that our students don’t just read about the future in their textbooks, but build it themselves.
So I put together an eco-friendly and budget-friendly smart blind for the visually impaired to help them be self-sufficient and independent.
klvaishnavi2010@gmail.com
Published – 10 May 2026 0:35 AM IST
