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Witness the Future as Robotics takes Centre Stage at the Abu Dhabi Science Festival

The last day of Abu Dhabi Science Festival is 26th November
Abu Dhabi, 25th November: Did you know that robots already build your car, perform medical procedures or have gone to Mars? Robots are now a part of our lives, but will be even more important in the future. That future is on display at Abu Dhabi Science Festival.

The Abu Dhabi Science Festival has been designed to excite and engage today's children to become tomorrow's scientists. Thereby, helping Abu Dhabi transform its economy to meet the country's 2030 Vision. Robotics is science at the cutting-edge; a science that will help deliver the vision for the future.

Speaking about the importance of robotics, Noura Ahmed Al Marshoudi, a social studies teacher at Al Bedaya for basic learning said: "Humanity's future will no doubt include robotics in a significant way, especially as science and technology advances to improve the capabilities and applications of robots. The Festival will inspire young minds to push the boundaries even further, seeking new ways for robots to benefit mankind."

Most people think that robots are a very recent invention when actually they had their origins in Muslim civilization. One of the greatest scientists who ever lived, Badi'al-Zaman Abu al-'Izz Isma'il b al-Razzaz Al-Jazari, invented a number of robotic devices nearly 900 years ago. His contribution to modern robotics is celebrated in 1001 Inventions, the blockbuster international exhibition taking place on the Corniche as part of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival.

The Festival - the largest hands-on science experience ever hosted in the Middle East - is delivering a number of fun and informative shows, exhibits and interactive workshops, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until 26 November, that look at the how robots work, and how they can help modern man.

Festival visitors will also have a chance to learn about the science behind robotics by playing with Lego MINDSTORM, and programming robot's touch, light and distance sensors to navigate an obstacle course. There is also a Robot Zoo interactive exhibition where machines operate as animals, including a giant housefly with a 10 -foot wingspan and a giant squid.

The Festival will showcase the marvelous abilities of ASIMO, Honda's latest generation of humanoid robots, at ADNEC. ASIMO is the culmination of 25 years of research, and is appearing in Abu Dhabi for the first time as part of Honda's continued commitment to share the exciting developments of its humanoid robotic research program with young people.

The robot displays, all of which are on show at ADNEC, are among over 150 amazing science experiences that are being delivered by the Festival, which is an initiative of the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee. The Festival is open free of charge to the public between 16h00 to 21h00 on weekdays, and from 14h00 to 21h00 on the weekends at ADNEC. The Corniche events are open to the public between 17h00 and 22h00 on weekdays, and 14h00 and 22h00 on the weekends.

The Festival is presented by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) and Tawazun in association with Dolphin Energy and in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) to support the Emirate's long-term human capital development plans and as part of TDC's mandate to help embed science, technology and innovation within the fabric of Abu Dhabi.

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The TDC Story: 2011
The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda and Economic Vision 2030 have clearly shown the Abu Dhabi Government's desire to build a knowledge-based economy. By 2030, Abu Dhabi will be an Emirate where the benefits of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) pervade every aspect of life - inspiring the people, empowering the Emirate and transforming the economy.

TDC was established to support, supervise and coordinate the development of STI in the Emirate. It will be responsible for the incorporated planning and monitoring of Abu Dhabi's STI plan to ensure a globally competitive STI base in the Emirate, to support the creation of a vibrant enterprise base and to foster world-class talent with the right skills and attitudes.

To achieve these goals, TDC is pursuing a broad program of change in five key policy areas: human capital, research and development, enterprise development, infrastructure, and laws and regulations. These programs, in conjunction with others across Abu Dhabi, aim to embed science, technology and innovation within the fabric of Abu Dhabi.

© Press Release 2011

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