Two 14-year-old Malayali girls have won national recognition for using robotics and artificial intelligence to preserve India’s ancient palm-leaf manuscripts.
Cathlin Marie Jeesan and Navika D. Nair, competing as UWR Synergy, secured first place in the Future Innovators – Senior category at the World Robot Olympiad India Nationals held in Hyderabad from August 26 to 28.
Their project, Smriti 1.0, was developed around the theme “When Ancient Wisdom Meets Future Technology.” It aims to address the challenges involved in preserving fragile palm-leaf manuscripts containing centuries-old knowledge.
The automated system combines robotics, AI and OCR technology. It uses a specialised conveyor mechanism to carefully clean dust and debris from manuscripts before applying protective coatings. High-resolution cameras and sensors then capture the manuscripts digitally.
An AI engine is designed to interpret ancient scripts and convert them into editable digital text. The digitised information can also be accessed through a cloud-based application, potentially helping historians and researchers study the material remotely.
Cathlin, a ninth-grade student at Holy Grace Academy in Mala, focuses on innovation, robotics and writing. Navika, a ninth-grade student at Naipunnya Public School in Kochi, specialises in design, hardware architecture and research.
The project was developed with guidance from mentors at Unique World Robotics, where the students have trained in robotics and AI for three years.
With their national victory, Cathlin and Navika will now represent India at the WRO International Championship in Puerto Rico in December, taking their innovative approach to heritage preservation onto the global stage.
