Unique World Robotics presents a ‘robot puppy’ to Sunita Williams

‘Gorby’ built by UWR in just two days

Kozhikode / January 25, 2026

Kozhikode, Jan 25: Unique World Robotics (UWR) presented a small gift to astronaut Sunita Williams on her arrival to deliver ‘STEM Talks’, organised by UWR in association with the Kerala Literature Festival. As the world-renowned space traveller opened the gift with curiosity, she could not hide her delight. The gift turned out to be a robot puppy named after her beloved dog Gorby. Gorby is also tattooed on Sunita Williams’ hand.

Small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand, Gorby responds with affectionate barking when its head is gently stroked. This surprise came after Sunita Williams spoke on stage about the revolutionary changes brought about by the integration of artificial intelligence in the field of robotics. UWR founder Bansen Thomas George said the gesture was a testament to how imaginatively Kerala’s startup ecosystem is functioning. UWR is a startup registered with the Kerala Startup Mission.

Sunita Williams was hosted by UWR as part of the STEM Talks (STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in association with the Kerala Literature Festival. She said that setting up STEM-Robotics labs and organising various competitions through them would greatly encourage students and help them gain innovative perspectives. UWR CEO Bansan Thomas George said the organisation’s goal is to train one million students in this field by establishing around 500 STEM labs across the country within the next five years.

In the presence of Divya S. Iyer, IAS, and UWR CEO Bansan Thomas George, Sunita Williams inaugurated an International Community for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) through which UWR will train students for competitions like FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Global Challenge, World Robot Olympiad, etc. She also launched an advanced robotics lab and training centre planned over 5,000 square feet in Kochi and Bengaluru, along with dedicated robotics training programmes. UWR will provide training to help students participate in major robotics competitions such as the FIRST Tech Challenge, NASA Space Apps Challenge, FIRST Lego Challenge and the World Robot Olympiad.
 
Guransh, a student of Indus International School, Bengaluru, who won at the national level of the World Robot Olympiad, presented his project before Sunita Williams. The team led by Guransh, called UWR Bhoomi Heroes, showcased their Moon Rover project to her.

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