Life & Style | Education
Great ideas!
Imagine this... a football team consisting of robots playing against human beings and winning!
- Reema Saffarini, Staff Report
- Published: 00:00 May 26, 2007
- Image Credit: Megan Hirons/Gulf News
- The Inter-Univeristy Software Development Trade Show organised by the University of Wollongong Dubai is open to final year undergraduate students majoring in computer science, software development and related areas.
Imagine this... a football team consisting of robots playing against human beings and winning! This was the first prize-winning project at the Inter-University Software Development Trade Show (SDTS 2007) organised by the University of Wollongong Dubai (UOWD) last week at the Dubai Knowledge Village.
Student Sayed Salim Tabatabaei from Ajman University has been developing this project for a few years now and has entered various robotic competitions with it and won.
However, Tabatabaei is not the only student with inventive ideas.
Twenty-four teams from 12 UAE universities took part in the trade show. They were judged by professionals from the information technology industry including representatives from Microsoft and Computer Associates.
Participating universities included: Dubai Men's College, Dubai Women's College, Zayed University, Ajman University, American University of Sharjah, MAHE-Manipal University, University of Dubai, UAE University, Bits-Pilani Dubai Campus, Etisalat University, University of Sharjah and the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD).
The trade show is open to final year undergraduate students majoring in Computer Science, Software Development or related areas.
UOWD also organised a competition for its information students on the sidelines of the trade show. Notes toured the event and stopped at some of the stalls to look at some students' projects.
SMS a Taxi – NeverLost
Student: Amir Sharif
Major: Information technology and e-commerce
Institution: University of Wollongong Dubai
Amir on his project:
"Getting a taxi in Dubai is not always an easy task. This programme allows people to get a taxi anywhere at any time. Users need to register with NeverLost services first. When on the road looking for a taxi, users message the word "taxi" to NeverLost.
"NeverLost will then determine the user's location based on phone signal strength then dispatch a taxi.
"It's easy, free and there is no need to struggle with the pick up location hassle."
Aircraft on Ground
Student: Salma Al Zarouni
Major: Software engineering
Institution: Dubai Women's College
The Project:
It was a development for the Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) of Emirates Engineering. Al Zarouni worked for three months at the centre after which she developed software that manages users, aircraft, manufacturers and unit information. It contains a checklist that MCC employees can use to provide engineering solutions. So if a plane is on the ground and needs maintenance, simply log on to the checklist.
The first part is the assessment, which contains the main information about the aircraft and any defects. The second part is the information form, which sends emails to inform the sections concerned.
The third part is the spares and tools form, which includes lists of all the tools required for the repairs. The last part is the manpower and travel duty form that includes information about the engineers who will fix the aircraft and a checklist on the issuance of tickets.
Integrated e-Payment Composite Web Service
Students: Hamda Hasan, Shaikha Ahmad, Asma Obaid, Hessa Saeed and Fatima Ahmad
Major: Computer science
Institution: UAE University
The Project:
The team developed an integrated online payment system – iPayment, which combines multiple online payment services for Etisalat, the Electricity and Water Authority, police and so on, all in one application.
The iPayment system provides users with a cost-effective way to handle all payment transactions of different agencies using one online application. It reduces the amount of registration information.
Arabic Crosswords
Students: Jawaher Al Dabbah, Yasmin Al Shaikh and Yusra Saloum
Major: Computer science
Institution: Ajman University of Science and Technology Network
The Project:
The software is for developing crossword puzzles in Arabic. It draws from a dictionary of 2,000 words. It has the ability to automatically generate new puzzles as allows users to add new words to the dictionary.
Arabic crosswords are usually a challenge, especially since there aren't that many around.
Muviz4rent
Student: Ronnie Koshy
Major: Computer science
Institution: BITS-Pilani Dubai Campus
The Project:
Muviez4rent is a local firm based in Dubai, which provides video rental facilities to customers. Customers living in near and distant communities within the UAE can place orders for movies through mobile phones. Once the order is placed and rental charges realised, the logistical network covering the customer's area of residence will be set into motion.
Automatic Licence Plate Recognition
Students: Manal Al Mutti, Amr Mohammad, Rizvi Rahim, Sally Yousuf and Reem Zua'ter
Major: Computer science
Institution: University of Wollongong Dubai
The Project:
The process of entering the plate numbers of speeding cars caught by radar is done manually. Employees at Dubai Police enter the numbers into the system from the radar pictures. The process is time-consuming and requires a lot of manpower. The automated system allows the computer to recognise the plate numbers and letters and save them along with the related information in the police database.
Online Computer Shop
Students: Louai Khairi, Hadi Azer, Amr Al Qaisi, Ayman Al Khateeb and Ahmad Badri
Major: Information technology
Institution: University of Wollongong Dubai
The Project:
The online computer shop allows consumers to go online, choose computer parts, create their own computers and have them assembled and delivered to their homes. Customers need to specify what they are looking for – be it a desktop or a laptop, new or secondhand, and whether they are professional computer users.
First place project
Design and implementation of autonomous agents in simulation environment of Robocup
Student: Sayed Salim Tabatabaei
Major: Computer engineering
Institution: Ajman University of Science and Technology Network (AUSTN)
The Project:
Tabatabaei along with Mo'een Alinaghian, a second year computer engineering student at AUSTN, designed a programme that simulates human brain activity. Instead of building a robot, the students worked on the software.
The project is also part of a Robocup competition that started two years ago in Germany. The goal is to create a robot capable of playing football against humans and winning by 2050.
"For a robot to do this, we may in the future have robots that work as drivers, servants, etc," said Tabatabaei.
Alinaghian and Tabatabaei founded the Robotic team at the university in 2005. They qualified for the Robocup competition the same year, and came in fourth in the Iran Open Robotics Competition. They will be participating in the Robocup competition to be held in Georgia, USA, later this year.
18 new programmes
Abu Dhabi University last week announced the addition of 18 new programmes to its portfolio including a doctoral degree in business administration. The university made the announcement at a press conference on campus.
"The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is looking at the programmes and we are hoping to have them on offer by September this year," said Ali Saeed Al Dahiri, chairman of the Executive Board of Governors of the university. "As for the doctoral programme in business administration, we've submitted it to the ministry and we are hoping to be offering it within a year's time."
He said the university is aware of the market's needs, "which is why we are reviewing our programmes constantly".
He added: "We have also employed 17 new faculty members this year, seven of them are full professors."
Mohammad Khalifa, university provost, said the university is well equipped to offer a doctoral programme in business administration.
He said: "Our professors have worked in universities in the US and Europe and have advised and overseen research work. We have conducted preliminary research and we've noticed that the UAE is moving towards creating a knowledge-based economy. To contribute to that we need to equip the future leaders of the UAE with analytical and research skills to make this transition."
Model school
The university is also in the process of constructing a model school within the university campus to support the College of Education.
"It will start in the academic year 2008-2009 and will teach the American and British curricula. Classes are from kindergarten to grade 12," said Al Dahiri.
Education degree students will thus have opportunities to help teach pupils and gain practical experience.
New campus
In January students moved to the new university campus in Khalifa City.
"We have finished phase I of the university. We have dormitories for both female and male students and professors ready; we already asked our contractor to finish 40 classrooms which are part of the university's phase II," he said.
The university now houses 2,700 students on its Abu Dhabi campus and 700 on its Al Ain campus. Financial aid last year, amounting to four and half million dirhams, covered 350 students.
The new programmes:
Bachelor degrees in:
- Law and Management
- Law and Finance
- Human Resources
- Computer and Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Management
- Interior Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Nursing
- Physiotherapy
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Pharmacy
- Radiology
- Health Administration
Masters degrees in:
- Human Resources
- Finance
Doctoral degree in:
- Business Administration
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