Last Friday, STEM Power Ethiopia jointly with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT), and other stakeholders organized the Ethiopia National Competition on Robotics. The national robotics competition brings some 37 projects from across the country and targets to select the best robotics developer so as to represent Ethiopia in the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) to be organized in Turkiye in November.
ADAPTA Multipurpose Robot, developed by a team of Kotebe University of Education STEM Center youths became champion of the national competition. This robot, according to the organizer, will represent Ethiopia for the first time in the WRO in Turkiye. This year's theme of the WRO is "Earth Allies" and the projects displayed at the national competition focus on eco-friendly projects and coming up with new solutions for existing societal problems. More than 100 students, both from elementary and high school classes, from 15 STEM Centers across Ethiopia participated in the competition and presented 37 innovative projects designed to address local and global challenges.
Bereket Assefa is a high school student and member of Kotebe University of Education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Center. Bereket is the project coordinator of the winning team during the national robotics competition. Bereket and his friends developed their own designed robot; the ADAPTA Multipurpose Robot following the practical training they received from the center. The robot is a multifunction robot designed to fulfill tasks in the agriculture, manufacturing, health and other sectors.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald Bereket said that the team designed and developed the robot within two months the aim of the project is to manufacture a multifunction robot that can fulfill a lot of tasks in different sectors. Bereket and his team were happy to see the ADAPTA Multipurpose Robot, with its unique features and multipurpose function, win the national competition and be selected to represent Ethiopia at the WRO.
For Bereket, beyond the competition, the knowledge they got from the STEM Center helped him to develop his knowledge in science and innovations. He joined the Kotebe University STEM Center a year ago after being selected from his high school based on the university's request to accept talented students in STEM education. Schools select potentially talented students to join STEM Centers and the centers provide different courses supported by practical education, including labs, according to Bereket. The centers provide training for the youths for one year.
The practical training in hardware and software development he received from the STEM Center helped Bereket to develop his talents in innovation and robotics development.
"For example, the hardware parts include, developing robots and IOT systems while the software part includes programming languages, AI and related practical courses" Bereket stated. In addition to the winner project, team of Kotebe University STEM Center presented two projects during the national competition, a fire extinguisher and nurse-supportive robots. The eco-friendly, multipurpose and energy-efficient ADAPTA Robot won the competition. The robot was developed using used materials, according to Bereket, and due to its multipurpose functions, the robot can fulfill tasks by replacing seven individual robots by adjusting the bundles.
For Bereket sensors are installed in the robot. Using the sensors, it receives computerized instructions to fulfill its tasks. The robot can serve as a nurse during surgery to support the physician; it can serve as a mediator between the nurse and the patient during information gathering about the illness and to identify the symptoms of the patient. Similarly, using the installed adjustments, the multipurpose robot can be used in the manufacturing sector, in agriculture, and other industry sectors.
Mehanayem Teshale with her teammates also presented their own designed robot at the national competition. Mehanayem came from Dilla University STEM Center and with her friends; they developed a road cleaning robot machine, named Autonomous Eco-friendly Road Cleaner Machine for Sustainable Cities. Mehanayem also learned a lot of practical experiences by joining the STEM Center. Her, before she joined the STEM Center, she had a piece of limited knowledge about hardware and software components.
But now, in addition to developing her knowledge in these components, the practical training helped her to develop her knowledge in science, mathematics, physics, and other science courses in her normal class. Similarly, she developed innovations and creativity as she became friendly with technological activities. The designing, programming, application development, electronics, robotics and related training helped her to develop her talents in science fields.
Based on the training Mehanayem and her friends got from the STEM Center, they designed and developed the Autonomous Eco-friendly Road Cleaner Machine for Sustainable Cities, a project they presented to compete at the national robot competition. They initiated the idea and designed the robot machine so as to manage the road cleaning system in a modern and easy way instead of cleaning public roads with human power.
They used software and hardware components to develop the cleaner robot. They also created their website to promote their project. The robot is an autonomous robot so as to manage itself to fulfill its tasks. Like Bereket's team ADAPTA Multipurpose Robot and Mehanayem's team of Autonomous Eco-friendly Road Cleaner Machine for Sustainable Cities, other 37 eco-friendly and creative robot projects were displayed at the national competition.
Simenew Keskes (PhD), STEMPower Ethiopia Country Director told The Ethiopian herald that the national robot competition was organized after two months of extensive and practical trainings for the youths. The two-month training was provided in 40 STEM Centers with more than 600 youths across the country. Out of these trained youths, 37 projects were developed by team. Eleven from Addis Ababa and 26 from out of the capital presented their works at the national competition. Based on the set criteria, the national judges selected the winner, who will represent Ethiopia at the WRO.
According to Simenew the robot projects developed by the youths have the potential of solving societal and global problems. STEMPower has 65 STEM Centers across Ethiopia. The centers are providing training on robotics, electronics, computer science, mathematics, physics, and other basic sciences. These centers aim to develop STEM education and cultivate the talents of the youth generation.
As to him, so far due to financial limitations and other challenges, Ethiopia has never participated at the World Robotics Olympiad. Currently, with the financial support from ECA and Google, team Ethiopia will comepete at the WRO in Turkiye this year. Only four countries, including Ethiopia will participate at the WRO, according to Simenew.
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During the national competition event, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete appreciated the young innovators' projects. Gatete said that "We are thrilled to see Ethiopia's young innovators competing at such a high level. This competition not only showcases creativity but also demonstrates Africa's potential to lead in technological solutions to our continent's most pressing challenges."
According to the Executive Secretary, developing digital skills is critical for the development of Africa and for realizing the Agenda 2063 of the continent. Underlined the importance of digital skills development, Gatete stated that "The digital economy in Africa is projected to reach 712 billion Dollars by 2050." But, according to him, only 11% of Africa's tertiary graduates received formal digital training in 2022. Hence, it is high time to invest in digital skills to equip the youth and close the gender gap in technology. "Today is just the first step towards a brighter, inclusive digital future for all," Gatete stated.
By expanding the STEM centers and promoting STEM education beyond the urban centers, it is high time for Ethiopia and Africa as well to cultivate the youth's talents in STEM and other innovations.
The winning team of the center of the Ethiopia National Robotics Competition organized at ECA hall here in Addis Ababa was from Kotebe University of Education STEM.
