DUBAI // The robotics industry is gaining ground in the UAE – particularly in education and health, experts say.
“We are bringing a lot of robots to the UAE,” said Dr Claus Risager, founder of Blue Ocean Robotics. “People that we meet from the UAE seem very open, very motivated for being the early adopters that would like to take the lead on using robots.”
Several types of robots are already being commercialised worldwide, when such technology was only fiction just a few years ago, he said before the region’s first Robot Technology Exhibition at the Meydan in Dubai on Monday.
An example are the various types of tele-medicine or tele-education robots. These are computer controlled robots, which allow a person far away physically to communicate. The robot is also able to move around.
Dr Risager explained that a doctor can help patients through these robots, or a child could attend school if they are not physically capable. There are 20 kinds, with one for every need, he said.
A wide variety of robots cater to the needs of autistic children. “We’ve been using robots for sometime where the teacher has a new role,” Dr Risagar said.
“The teacher controls the robots and the robots are then running the training sessions.”
The cueball, a smart rolling ball, uses lights and sound effects to interact with children. In addition, it incorporates physical activity. The ball is able to react to touch.
Furthermore, Zeno, a humanoid robot, helps autistic children learn social skills. Unlike the cueball, this robot can use facial expressions and body movements. It can also speak more than 26 languages.
“The real strength to this is that children are much more connected to robots,” he added.
Robots are also being used in other activities. The shopping robot, Budgee, Dr Risagar said, is becoming increasingly popular. It can carry up to 23 kilograms, while it is merely nine kilograms and is easy to lift and transport.
Alongside the conference, the fourth University of Wollongong in Dubai Robotics Competition took place. More than 80 schools took part, with the chance for high school pupils to win a full scholarship to the university.
nbakhsh@thenational.ae
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
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Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
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Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
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