Robot teaching assistants in Dubai schools 'by end of year'

Robots will soon be teaching and assisting children across several schools in the UAE, according to tech firm ATLAB, which is planning to roll out a new system later this year.

The technology-based learning solutions company has announced that it will be introducing the ATLAB TeachAssist in schools across Dubai and the UAE and the rest of the GCC by the end of 2017.

The robot can act as a librarian, assisting students to locate books and even manage lending, and also take attendance of students and guide visitors, the company said in a statement.

It added that the robots have a humanised body with a matrix design and is powered by more than 60 sensors providing 360-degree wrap-around perception. A 3D camera around its LED eyes enables it to even read the student’s gesture and pose.

Its chest comprises a 10.1-inch touchscreen panel and its feet and body are fitted with infrared sensors.

The robot is also equipped with a HD laser projector that beams videos and presentations at 720P resolution and at a maximum 65-inch display, pulling up both customised academic content and information from the cloud.

The company, which is showcasing the system at the Global Education Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai 2017 this week, said it has already had interest from schools in the emirate.

ATLAB said TeachAssist’s hardware involves a humanised cloud-based robotic system of Sanbot, adding that it has started developing customised school-centric content that will power the machine to serve the requirements of educational institutions in the region.

“The software being developed using the open source platform will be customised to each school. A classroom will be transformed into a student-centric space with an aim to provide one-on-one assistance. ATLAB is acting as an education system integrator,” said S Senthil Kugan, director, ATLAB.

He said students will be able to ask for assistance with any course-related query and the robot will immediately fetch relevant answers. It will also be able to track the progress of individual students and customise the answers to guide them accordingly.

“The robot can act as a librarian, assisting students to locate books and even manage lending, take attendance of students and guide visitors, apart from performing various other roles,” he added.

The company said it has already received several requests from schools in Dubai and has started creating interactive content. It plans to start delivering TeachAssist to schools in the UAE from the third quarter.