Filipino Robotics Gear Up For A Robofiesta

The most popular geekfests today are robogames. But it’s not only geeks who are flocking to these competitions and exhibits, as more and more people – young, old, the forever young, and those who try to pretend they’re young, or at least still able to keep up – are being enthralled by the magical mighty world of robotics.

Since 1977, hundreds of engineers from around the world have brought over robots to major capitals for robotic competitions, which have been given full coverage by the world’s major media outfits – from broadcast giants like BBC, CNN, NHK-Japan, and Discovery Channel, to print outfits like USA Today, the New York Times, and the China Daily.  Even the number one rated TV show in America – CSI Las Vegas – featured robot builders in its prime-time Season 3 episode, “Precious Metal.”

No doubt about it – robofests are hot! 

On August 25 and 26, robotics teams from various local schools will come together at the Grand Atrium of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall to showcase the best. This first ever robotics festival in Manila will be an influential avenue for education, industry, sport, and entertainment – but primarily, it will be a showcase of Filipino creativity and engineering design.

Originally conceived by Ego Systems as an event for underground hobbyists, RoboFiesta@The Shang will bring together communities of disparate robot builders and give them a chance to learn from each other. Each element of the two-day event works as a showcase of many scattered sub-disciplines.  Thus, software specialists such as those behind Robot Soccer will get to interact with those who are good at sensors as well as the expert machinists in the field.   Lego Education, which has pioneered in bringing robotics education to younger audiences and whose usage in Philippine schools is now supported by both the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Education, will be featured alongside robotics technology developed by our foremost engineering schools for industry, the military, entertainment, and even disaster recovery.

Mylene Abiva-Sazon, president of Felta Multi-Media Inc, which distributes Lego Mindstorms in the Philippines, has made robotics a personal campaign.  For six years now, she has mounted the Philippine Robotics Olympiad and literally hit gold last year when the Philippine team she assembled made waves in the World Robotics Olympiad in China, with Batangas-based First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities copping first prize in the Open Category with their Rossums Robot Coffee Shop showcase.   Her efforts have begun to pay off as more and more schools include robotics in their science curriculum.

“It’s not just the science high schools that are into it,” Mylene proudly beams. “Other institutions who see how it positively influences critical thinking are beginning their programs already, first with clubs as extra-curricular activity, and then formally integrating robotics into their science subjects.”

With DOST’s Science Education Institute launching a long-term teacher-training program for Philippine schools, the awareness and interest have rapidly spread. This early, the City of Makati has already jumped the gun on other LGU’s by providing its public schools with kits and workshop programs for both elementary and high school divisions under the stewardship of Makati Science High School’s robotics coordinator Job Ferrer.

“It was quite accidental,” Ferrer says. “I had taken over the electronics course from a previous instructor, and decided to give the Lego kits a shot since we were already given them for free. The kids enjoyed it so much that now we actually have a waiting list for those who can get into the program!”

Ferrer hopes RoboFiesta @ The Shang can give their students a wider view of robotics technology even beyond what Lego offers. “We are, after all, producing the future engineers of the country, and Filipinos are very good at innovation,” he states. “I want my students to also experience going to Raon and picking out electronic gadgetry at prices they can afford, just to sustain their interest, even after graduation.”

Public schools in Quezon City led by Novaliches High School and Eulogio Rodriguez High School also made headlines last year when their “Janitor Robot””– assembled entirely from scrap material – won second prize in an international contest in Korea, and was proudly displayed during the National Inventors Week.

RoboFiesta @ The Shang will also show how robotics applications are now being used to address serious issues in our everyday lives. On display will be robots like Atlantis, underwater surveillance equipment which the Mapua Institute of Technology developed for the Philippine Navy; Adamson University’s disaster recovery robot; an all-terrain model from the UP Mobile Robotics Laboratory; and a five-foot talking humanoid from AMA Computer University. Apart from imparting the technology, these young Filipino engineers are establishing benchmarks for integrating information infrastructure with decision support systems, and multi-agent coordination for more efficient rescue strategies.

Supplementing the effort are companies like E-Gizmo Mechatronix Central, Festo Didactics, Figaro, Dunkin Donuts, NU107, and Energizer Philippines who all firmly believe that science education should be powered by increased support from the public and private sectors. Henry Chua of E-Gizmo relates that their office encourages robot enthusiasts to explore, imagine and build. “After all, Thomas Edison said that to invent you simply need a good imagination and a pile of junk!” he laughs.

For young learners, RoboFiesta @ The Shang will also feature a workshop on Basic Electronics for 7-year-olds to be conducted by CP David of the Raya School. Norman Crisologo’s collection of vintage robots will also be on exhibit, together with the latest Robo Sapiens.series by Wow Wee Toys, courtesy of  Kidz Station.  Lively information displays courtesy of Japan Foundation, the University of  Freiburg, the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and the Carnegie Mellon University will enhance the event, which will also feature a Micro-Mouse demo from students and faculty of the Juan Sumulong High School, who were trained by Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore.

Already, audiences both young and old are also looking forward to seeing the latest videos from other robotics events around the world, keenly anticipating humanoids, androids, and other cutting-edge mechanicals.  Looking like the Cirque de Soleil performers of the robot world, the delicate automatons can even dance, do headstands, and roll in cartwheels.  Germany’s Robotinho once conducted the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – a feat which the Metropolitan Museum of Manila would wish demonstrated live on local shores!

And despite being plagued by falls and software resets, the humanoids draw large and enthusiastic crowds whenever they manage to kick a ball at robot soccer.  The recent RoboCup held in Atlanta, which attracted 321 teams from 39 countries, even set a goal of having a purely humanoid team compete against the World Cup champions by the year 2050 in efforts to make robotics the second most popular sport – next to football.  (Ironically, it is in robot soccer that the U.S. teams, which are the most gung-ho of all, are able to beat Brazil in anything soccer-related.)

But Paolo Jalbuena, who has coordinated Cybertron Philippines PR efforts, explains that robotic combat is still the most anticipated event in all robofests.  “I guess everybody just loves to watch a good fight – especially Pinoys!” he claims.

For the moment, however, local fans will have to wait before they see 300-pound robotic brutes shoot fire from their steely wedge fronts. RoboFiesta @ The Shang will remain a creative event, with a lot of promise for bigger things to come.

RoboFiesta @ The Shang is open to the public on August 25 and 26 from 11 am to 9 pm.   For complete activity schedules and other enquiries, call tel 636-1228, 0919-4885409 or email siouxstar @gmail.com