Abu Dhabi: Merihan Al Hefnawi, 21, dreams that one day her robots will make life easier for the elderly and sick, and will replace humans doing hazardous jobs.
“I like the field of robotics since it involves problem-solving skills and thinking out of the box. Robots will play a major role in all areas of life in the near future, especially in the field of medical care and renewable energy,” Merihan says excitedly highlighting the massive potential her favourite area of scientific study holds promise for.
Merihan is one of the 12 Emirati undergraduate students doing a six-week summer research internship programme at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi. The institute offers the annual internship programme to talented Emirati undergraduate students majoring in engineering, science or computer science.
The programme is a testimony to the progress achieved by the UAE in higher education avenues in science and technology. The young students, especially women, are making a foray into cutting-edge research such as advance imaging of nanomaterials, development of a high-performance compact thermoelectric generator for space exploration, ‘genetic big data mining’ and robotics. A few years ago, these students went abroad pursuing opportunities in their respective areas of study.
Merihan’s project titled ‘Robotics: Combining Artificial Intelligence and Human-Robot Interaction’ aims at enhancing communication between humans and robots.
Her research project guide at Masdar Institute, Dr Jacob Crandall, has developed two games that a human can play against a robot as part of efforts to enhance the communication between the two.
“What I am working on is further developing this communication and also exploring the hardware of the robot in order to understand how it moves and how its internal components work together,” says Merihan.
The computer engineering student at the American University in Cairo says she dreams of developing a robot that can be a reliable companion for the elderly and the sick.
“My project can be of a major use in renewable energy sector also.”
Apart from monitoring electricity consumption and alerting humans to switch off some gadgets to minimise consumption, robots can do the tough physical tasks in scorching hot weather, like cleaning solar panels, she adds.
“I regard this internship as a step on the way to achieving my dreams.”
Merihan believes that robotics is the future and that the UAE has taken the right steps to promote further innovation in this field. From hosting events to robot-making competitions, the UAE has been investing astutely in the field of robotics.
“I hope one day the country will benefit from the experience it is giving me through this internship,” Merihan says.
Reem Mubarak Al Atiqi, 23, says her programme on ‘genetic big data mining’ seeks to explore the world of microorganisms in fine detail since it has endless possibilities ranging from disease eradication to water purification and cleaning oil spills.
“As a student of environmental science and sustainability [at Zayed University] , I was interested in learning the applications of microbial ecology in the environmental field through genetic big data mining,” says Reem.
The Masdar internship has introduced Reem to bioinformatics and its environmental applications. “I can take this knowledge with me everywhere whether when I get a job in the environmental field or when I pursue a masters in a field related to microbial ecology or bioinformatics,” she says.