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Magis, Amicus, breakfast maker, sweeper and more [Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)](Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ABU DHABI Robots that can track openings in a collapsed building, capture live footage and save trapped and injured victims by sensing their body heat, is one entry by the UAE that hopes to win the Open Category at the 2011 International World Robot Olympiad (WRO). This year's Open Category theme focuses on robotic solutions that would assist in improving the lives of humans. The robots, designed and programmed by Emirati junior high school students from team Al Mozafar, won first place at the WRO-UAE national competition held last month. Also hoping to bring the laurel home is the DYCI (Dr Yanga's Colleges Incorporated) team from the Philippines. A strong contender, the team was last year's world champion at the Robotics Olympiad held in their country for P'noy a multilingual robo marketer that speaks four languages. The team stand which attracted many spectators, featured three robots Magis or man's all around global interactive solution, Amicus (Latin for friend) and a robotic pet puppy. Magis is a three-feet tall multi-functional robot that can read one's blood pressure through its thermo scanner, has a cash dispensing machine, is braille-enabled for the blind, has an LCD projector for entertainment, has assisting limbs and serves beverages. Under its droid coat hides the robotic puppy which goes out and senses the critical water level of an area and activates the flood alarm. Amicus, meanwhile, is a friendly robot that expresses emotion by action. "He gives a high-five when you're happy and taps your shoulder when you're sad. He also plays tic-tac-toe," explained third year high school Alexandra Mae Guevarra, 15. Her teammate, Chelsea Andrea Morales, 14, said it took the trio eight months to design and programme their robots. "We're aiming for the championship once again," Chelsea enthused. Other notable entries included an oil spill robotic barge cleaner, river robotic cleaner and landslide early warning robotic system by students from Indonesia; a dishwashing robot by a team from Japan; medicine dispensing robot, robotics blind guide and walker from Malaysia; robo sweeper from Bahrain; trash separating robot and breakfast maker from Thailand. "People are usually in a hurry to go to work and don't have time for breakfast, so if you have a robot that can make you breakfast, you will not skip the most important meal of the day," explained Pati Phan, 11, from Thailand. Speaking at the opening of the WRO yesterday, Eugene Zhang, WRO Advisory Council Chairman, said: "Because robotics crosses multiple curriculum subjects, students must learn and apply their knowledge in science, engineering, math and technology together." The eight International WRO also featured the Regular Category where participants were given specific rules to do a particular mission, and the WRO GEN II Robot Football. An addition to this WRO edition is the Green City Challenge, whereby special needs students from various countries programed their robots to do a number of missions that simulated real-life environmentally focused engineering problems. Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), which hosted the event for the first time in an Arab country and outside the Southeast Asia, commended on the large participation at this year's Robotics Olympiad. "For the first time we have 380 teams participating in the biggest WRO final ever," he said. The WRO this year also welcomed six new member countries from the Middle East region, bringing to Abu Dhabi over 1500 student participants from 35 countries. The opening of the WRO 2011 was attended by Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court. [email protected] (c) 2011 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |