Student-designed ‘humanoid’ wins top award at the World 3D Printing Olympiad in Dubai

Fifty different innovative products, all designed and 3D printed by school students from across the UAE was the hallmark of the second 3D Printing Olympiad organised by ATLAB in Dubai.

This year's competition saw participation from three different categories – elementary, junior high and high secondary school, with the junior high leading the list with maximum number of participants. More than 150 entries were submitted from students of various schools across the UAE, of which only 50 managed to reach the final round of the competition.

The top award in the competition went to a 15-year old Grade X student from GEMS Millenium School – Sharjah, who demonstrated a working model of a humanoid robot – almost complete with its torso and head.

Rishab Java who designed the 3D printed humanoid says he has been working on the project for the past eight months. The humanoid whose legs and arms are still not ready was presented to judges as a functional model that can be scaled up as per requirements.

The humanoid's body was completely built using a 3D printer. "The only exceptions were the motors and the Microsoft Surface tablet that powers the system. I plan to self-design the robot's arms and legs in the future," said the 15-year-old Grade X student.

"The robot I have built is a cost-effective solution and at Dh1,800 including the tablet, is a much cheaper option. I have the arms designed and since the design was not my own I am not including it for the competition. Once the arms and legs are built, it could be about six feet tall. I have used open source software already available online to build the humanoid," he added.

The boy had also won last year's Gulf 3D Printing Olympiad having presented a 3D printed bionic arm. The fully functional bionic arm is now ready to be fitted onto a human body. "We are in discussions with a government-run hospital in India, where an amputee who lost his hand in an industrial accident could soon be using the custom built bionic arm, the one similar to what was showcased during last year's competition," he said.

Another winner Mumukshya Baitharu from the primary school segment presented an interesting concept where she had redesigned a chessboard and replaced the chess pieces with prominent and historical towers within the UAE.

Among the other innovative designs included an innovative wheelbase for a motor vehicle with six wheels and a 3D printed model of a recycle bin with multiple segregations including one for infectious waste.

The participants were judged by a panel of nine judges who based their decision on the uniqueness of the design, research and development process as presented, the value and potential impact of the design, and the ability to communicate or demonstrate the features.

ATLAB, the technology-based company focusing on developing custom applications dedicated to humanoid robots and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and innovation labs for corporates and educational institutions, has been the brain behind the World 3D Printing Olympiad.

Senthil Kugan, director, ATLAB said the idea of the competition, inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision of innovation, is to encourage and inculcate innovativeness among students. "This is the second year of the competition and the entries this year are a clear indication of significant improvement in the participation and the quality of presentations."