Humanoid robots, coffee-making robots, greenhouse robots, underwater robots, robotic hands, give a glimpse of tomorrow's technology and the role that artificial intelligence will play in it.
“What's better than a chair that gives you everything you need, before you even realize you want it? Introducing the automated chair! Are you sitting at your computer on a hot day? Does the temperature rise? Does your chair turn on a fan! Is it cold? Does the chair wrap you in a blanket! The possibilities are endless!
This chair, in addition to the above, will do many more…” No, this is not a telemarketing advertisement, but the “smart” chair of the future, as designed, manufactured and proudly presented, not by some innovative companies, but by high school children, of the 2nd Model Experimental High School of Thessaloniki.
Humanoid robots, robots , greenhouse robots, underwater robots, robotic arms, give a glimpse of tomorrow's technology and the role that artificial intelligence will play in it. It is hard to believe, however, that all of the above robotic applications are not plans on paper, but have already been tested, and even by students! Skeptics and not, have the opportunity to see up close the robots of the future, created by 300 elementary, middle and high school students from Greece, who will meet next weekend, at the 1st Student Robotics Festival, organized in Thessaloniki by the Model Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia, in collaboration with Education and Local Government bodies.
“The reason for the organization, which is based on the volunteerism of teachers, pupils, students, etc., was the great successes, distinctions and passion of robotics ,” the director of the Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia, Eleni Mouzoura, tells APE-MPE, adding that “the goal is to create an institution in public education, which will encourage students to engage in the construction and programming of improvised robotic constructions, teamwork, taking initiatives, innovation and patenting.”
“Students easily love robotics, they are excited about programming improvised robotic constructions and are particularly fascinated by understanding the automation that exists everywhere around them,” explains to APE-MPE the professor of Informatics and head of the Robotics Club of the Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia, Katerina Hatzifotinou, who is teaching for the 5th year at the same school this year. She notes, in fact, that even students who completed High School and are now in High School continue to participate in the Robotics Club.
The Robotics Festival includes a competition and an exhibition part. The competition part will be held at the premises of the Model Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia on Saturday 13/12/2014 (Strempeniotis Area, 3rd Wing in the old multi-disciplinary building, Neapoli), while the exhibition part will be held at the Art Hall of the Municipality of Neapoli-Sykea (125 Venizelou), on Sunday 14/12/2014.
“ Robots that park, put out fires and protect in earthquakes”
And if anyone wonders how it is possible for 12-14 year olds to possess robotics knowledge and even practice it by making “smart chairs”, they have only seen “Profector” up close, a robot that prevents objects from falling from people who cannot react (babies, disabled people, etc.), even if no one is near them. It was created by elementary school students of the 3rd Experimental Elementary School of Evosmos! The construction is an electronic system for automatically activating a mechanism adapted to a stroller.
Students of the 1st High School of Evosmos promise a solution to those who have difficulty parking, as they created a robotic application that detects obstacles and the parking space, while achieving automatic parking and exiting the parking space.
The Fire Station in the Martiou area of Thessaloniki, where the 19th High School of Thessaloniki is located, inspired the school's students to create four firefighting robots. The Arduino, RCX, NXT and EV3 robotic vehicles move automatically, recognizing obstacles and going into alarm mode when the ambient temperature rises above a certain value.
The award-winning anti-seismic mechanism “Generic Earthquake Solution” will be presented by the students of the Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia. As Ms. Hadjifotinou explains, the anti-seismic house that her students built operates with a mechanism and sensors that detect seismic waves before humans. Thus, before the earthquake is felt, the mechanism activates a series of protective automations in the house, lowering blinds in case of glass breakage, unlocking the door in order to prevent people from being trapped, etc.
“4 hours + 4 students and a robot brain”
The competitive part of the Student Robotics Festival includes categories for Elementary, Middle and High School (GEL-EPAL). Each category is attended by teams of 2-4 students from each school. Each team must bring its own laptop for programming and its own robotic equipment, which must contain a processor (LEGO, ARDUINO or any other microcontroller), sensors and mechanical parts.
The topic of the competition will not be known in advance and at the start of the competition, three topics of graded difficulty and weighting will be announced to the teams. Each team must choose the topic in which it will compete, having 4 hours at its disposal to build and program the Robot. Students will work exclusively on their own, without any help from any adult, and the use of the internet, mobile phones and any ready-made programs or construction instructions is not allowed. “The topics are of graded difficulty, so that regardless of their level, children can choose which topic is most beneficial to them”, notes Ms. Hatzifotinou, adding that there is no restriction on the construction materials that the teams can use, as the aim is to encourage creative imagination. At the end of the competition process, prizes will be awarded for original idea, improvisation, technological excellence and student initiative. Prizes will also be awarded to the best robotic constructions of the Exhibition part of the Festival.
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Source: imerisia.gr
