BY DARGIE KAHSAY
I visited the Ethiopian Science Museum, which was inaugurated in October 2022. I have observed the current technological advancements and the future prospects in technological developments in the artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics sectors. I wonder the level of the knowledge in the science, technology and engineering sectors after I have enjoyed the sample innovations and ideal in the sector developed by Ethiopian professionals and experts displayed at the science museum.
According to the experts assigned to brief visitors at the science museum, the knowledge in the science, technology, programming, and engineering and innovation sectors is radically changing the world. The development in science sector is also contributing a crucial role in the economic development of countries in today’s world. At this time, to compute economically, it is critically important to invest in these sectors.
Though it seems luxury in developing countries, at this competitive world that is dominated by technology, giving attention for the development of the science, technology and innovation sectors is part of the struggle to achieve development and prosperity for developing countries. Technology has turned a must priority for development in the current world remaining behind in technology directly means remaining behind in development.
Every activity is being supported or operated using new technological advancements, AI, robots, programs and applications. These technological products are catalysts and accelerators for development and help in modernizing services.
Using latest technologies, smart city, smart education, smart home, smart mining and other new modern ways of living and operating work activities are underway thanks to technological developments and the expansion of the internet. The innovation, function, operation and control of these modern technological developments need professionals in the science and technology sector, which needs high investment in the younger generation to empower them on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educations. All these technological products and innovations are products of knowledge in science. The knowledge in the STEM education is changing the world and the developing countries, as part of their struggle to defeat poverty, needs investing in the STEM education to empower their people.
To use the technological products, to operate and control them by own capacity and to innovate local technological products, there is a need to cultivate the mind of the youth through investing with maximum capacity. Technology and innovation are the outcomes of knowledge in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and physics (STEM) educations.
Last week, the Ethiopian Science Museum hosted a three-day robotics competition event which aims an awareness creation in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education by promoting talented youths’ in the sector. The event, the Africa Robotics Championship, was organized jointly by Ministry of Innovation and Technology and Ethio Robo-Robotics Education and Competition Center. The first Afrcia Robotics Championship competition was the first of its type as it laydown a foundation to organize an annual robotics competition at Africa level here in Ethiopia.
The three day robotics competition event was attended by youth students from both elementary and high school classes. During the three day talented youths competition event, over 180 participants under 14 different teams competed in the first round competition. To select the finalists, the first Africa Robotics Championship was completed with three rounds to qualify the finalists.
During the opening ceremony of the event, Minister for Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Belete Molla (PhD) said that the robotics competition would play a vital role for the development of science, technology and engineering sectors in Ethiopia. As to the minister, as the robotics competition aims to take aboard the whole of Africa, it would play a crucial role in developing science, technology and engineering sectors in Africa as well. Through promoting STEM sector, it would play a significant role for continental development.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Founder and General Manager of Ethio Robo-Robotics Education and Competition Center, Senay Mekonnen noted that the main goal of the competition is to improve STEM education in Africa. The competition focuses on youth students in elementary and high school classes. Senay added that it helps them to develop their STEM skill through robotics.
“At national level the competition has been going since 2011. After we organized the first robotics competition in 2011, finalists were attended the 2012 robotics competition in US prepared by NASA,” Senay said. Since then, Ethio Robo-Robotics organized annual robotics completion events in Addis Ababa and the champions travelled to US, China and Canada for competition. After almost 10 years of its foundation, Ethio Robo- Robotics started to extend the competition at Africa level by inviting youths from across Africa. Annually the champions at home also attend the competition being prepared by VEX Robotics competition in the U.S.
“During the first Africa Robotics Championship over 180 youth participants were in attendance at the completion both from high school and elementary classes. Four of these participants were non- Ethiopians from African countries living in Addis Ababa. Students from Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea and Zimbabwe living and attending their schools in Addis Ababa were part of the competition of the first Africa Robotics Championship and for next year we are planning to invite students from different African countries,” Senay reiterated.
While students are trying to prepare robots for the competition, it helps them to develop or hone their engineering skills as it needs designs and other activities. In addition, it needs coding that helps student to develop their programing skills. In addition, it helps them to develop their mathematical skills easily. Hence, the competition’s focus is on robotics education and expanding robotics competition helps to improve STEM education by promoting talented youths, as to Senay.
“In the developing world, robotics education is becoming part of the formal curriculum. But, in developing countries robotics is not part of the curriculum and it is almost limited to out-of -school programs,’ Senay said adding that to improve students’ STEM knowledge, it is important to expand robotics education.
According to General Manager of Ethio Robo-Robotics, military robots, medical robots, agricultural and other service provider robots are functioning in the developed world. But, for the developing countries, it is important first to expand robotics education to help skill development of students in the science, technology and other STEM education fields. The aim of the robotics championship is to promote robotics education so as to improve students’ STEM knowledge in Africa, he added.
The competition according to Senay focuses on providing kits for the students. It allows them to create robots based on their STEM knowledge. And finally, based on their robots and the year’s robotics task for the competition, they compute Spin Up or Snapshot robotics completion. The best scorers win the competition.
During the three day competition at the science museum, Senay said, there were three rounds in which over 180 youths took part in the first round. Though the qualifying matches, semifinalists were selected and then finalists. Fourty finalists who scored the best were selected at the third round, according to Senay. The event was successful and it was helpful to create robotics awareness for the youth.
“If the finalists completed their visa process successfully, they will be participate in this year’s VEX Robotics Completion in U.S. We only invite the winning robot; the visa process is being processed by the participants themselves. The Competition in U.S. is scheduled to be started on the 25th of April” Senay stated.
“So far, our champions at home were participated in U.S., Canada and China. And for next we are working to attend competitions in England and other countries. In 2017, a high school group from Ethiopia was a gold medalist in Canada,” he stated.
According to Senay, there is awareness limitation in the sector as most people see robotics education as a luxury. But, robotics education is vital to improve STEM education, he added.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 3 MARCH 2023
