Case Study: Sasha The Humanoid Robot – Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, India

Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya (SKV), an all-girls, fully residential school in Gwalior in India, believes that adventure takes on an unconventional form, not on mountain trails or rivers, but within the walls of a classroom. When a group of SKV students decided to build a humanoid robot named Sasha, they embarked on a journey that perfectly embodies the Round Square IDEAL of Adventure, embracing challenge, uncertainty, and discovery through action.

This is a story of how intellectual curiosity, courage, and collaboration transformed a simple spark of inspiration into a ground-breaking innovation, proving that adventure in education begins not with a destination, but with the willingness to explore the unknown.

From Inspiration to Innovation

What began as a routine Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya (SKV) session soon became the spark of something extraordinary. When a visiting team from Robocoupler, a Chennai-based robotics company, demonstrated their drones and warrior robots, the highlight of the session was a humanoid demonstration that captured every student’s imagination.

Within days, a 23-member all-girls team was formed, without a robotics lab, coordinator, or formal funding. Undeterred, they transformed the Chemistry Lab into their innovation hub. Locker No. 17 became their first robotics storeroom. Every Sunday, they gathered to design, code, and build what would become their school’s first humanoid robot, Sasha.

Six months of perseverance, problem-solving, and late-night teamwork culminated in Sasha’s debut at SKV’s annual cultural festival, Dharohar. But this achievement was more than technological, it was emotional and transformational, proving that adventure in learning thrives on creativity, collaboration, and courage. 

Courage and Tenacity: Building with Purpose

The project tested not only technical skill but also character. As a student-initiated initiative, the team was challenged to raise half the funding independently. Instead of seeing this as a setback, they saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate agency and community spirit.

The girls launched a school-wide campaign, selling handmade art, sculptures, block-printed fabrics, and even cake pops, to fund the project. This became a living classroom for entrepreneurial adventure, teaching lessons in resilience, communication, and leadership that no textbook could replicate.

Through countless trials, hardware malfunctions, and coding frustrations, the team refused to quit. When Sasha finally came to life, the moment symbolised not just the success of a project, but the triumph of courage and collective perseverance.

Summiting the Peak

Sasha was presented to the President of India, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu, in 2023. This moment symbolised the true “Summiting of the Peak” in their ‘Adventure in the Classroom Journey’, marking it as the highest point of recognition for the students’- unwavering effort, ingenuity, and perseverance.

Adventure through Learning and Reflection

Following Sasha’s unveiling, SKV’s Robotics Lab was formally established, the school’s first. The project snowballed into national partnerships and recognition: workshops with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, national competitions like Technoxian World Cup and World Robotics Olympiad, and the creation of the SKV Robotics Club.

Every obstacle became an invitation to grow. When a major technical failure occurred minutes before a public demonstration, the team learned calm under pressure. When resources were scarce, they learned ingenuity. These lessons mirrored the Round Square Discovery Framework, particularly Inquisitiveness, Problem Solving, Tenacity, and Teamwork, illustrating how adventure in the classroom builds both competence and character. 

Adventure as a Way of Being

In February 2024, Sasha received a full upgrade, new sensors, Raspberry Pi integration, and improved mobility. Yet, the true upgrade was cultural. Sasha had redefined SKV’s identity, proving that adventure does not always mean physical exploration, it can mean intellectual bravery, creative experimentation, and moral resilience.

Today, every visitor to SKV is first taken to the Robotics Lab, not merely to meet Sasha, but to witness what a group of students can achieve when adventure meets purpose.

As one student reflected in the accompanying video, “We learned that adventure means trying, failing, and trying again, because every mistake is a step forward.”

Key Takeaways for Round Square Schools

• Adventure begins in curiosity: Challenge students to explore uncharted territories, whether scientific, artistic, or humanitarian.
• Empower student agency: Let students lead initiatives; ownership turns risk into responsibility.
• Use constraints as catalysts: Limited resources can foster creativity and community mobilisation.
• Reflect through the Discoveries: Encourage structured reflection to connect experience to character.
• Celebrate process over product: The spirit of adventure lies not in success but in the courage to begin.

Conclusion

The story of Sasha is more than a robotics success, it is an adventure in courage, curiosity, and collaboration. It reminds us that the classroom can be as thrilling as the wild, that true adventure is not about where you go, but what you dare to create.

Case study based on resources developed by Dr. Neha Tomar, Round Square Coordinator, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya,, and contributions from SKV’s Robotics Team.