Visitors get glimpse of technology

Abu Dhabi: For all those who ever wondered about how electrical gadgets we use on a daily basis are made, the chance to learn more about the technology involved in their production will be offered to visitors of Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research's (KUSTAR) Discovery Centre, located at their campus in Abu Dhabi.

A collaborative effort with Intel Corporation, displays in the facility include a wide array of features like information on microprocessor history, computer chip design and manufacturing, as well as an inside look at chip factories and how they operate though interactive stations and videos.

The main attractions include the "Binary Code" display, where visitors attempt to use binary codes [0 & 1, the language computers use to create letters, numbers and symbols], to compose letters and words in Arabic and English.

Visitors may also send fun postcards to their friends and families, using the "Get Digitized" feature, in which they can create digital souvenir cards. An inside look at an Intel fabricator facility is also provided.

"If you have an interest in something, and then you visit somewhere where you can see more information about it, tangible information where you can actually play with the technology, I think it has an effect," Nasser Nauthoa, General Manager of Intel Corporation in Gulf Countries, said.

"The intent is to get students actually rolling through the museum, to get them thinking about a career in technology and to take things to the next stage. The centre incorporates a combination of things, some that appeal to a younger age, and others that are more complex… to show technical processes, but also to bring a fun element to it as well," he added.

"For the time-being, our main visitors will be students, especially high school students. We have yet to announce whether families and the public will be part of the centre," Amani Al Sa'adi, coordinator of the centre, said.

"Students can choose to take a tour of the facility, by booking for one beforehand, or they can explore it on their own. In the future, we hope to have a number of workshops in line with the centre as well," she added.

"The centre complements the electronic engineering programmes at the university. Sometimes students study concepts, but are unaware of how it applies in real life. This shows them things they use in daily life and clarifies how they are made, based on concepts they are studying right now," she said.