DUBAI // Twenty inventions from around the world, including nine from the UAE, were named as semi-finalists for the Dh4.67 million UAE AI and ­Robotics Award for Good.

The award encourages research and the application of innovative solutions in artificial intelligence and robotics to meet existing challenges in the categories of health, education and social services.

Saif Al Aleeli, chief executive officer of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation and coordinator general of the UAE AI and Robotics Award for Good, said the award involved robotics projects designed to serve humanity.

Mr Al Aleeli said 20 projects had qualified for the semi-final stage out of 664 submissions from 121 countries, reflecting the global impact of the award in its first edition.

Mr Al Aleeli said the award focused on the practical side of robotics technology, making it easier for the public and investors to identify the economic and social value of these projects to transform them into services and commercial ventures.

One of the main objectives of the award was to make people aware of the potential of the robotics sector, Mr Al Aleeli said.

The 20 semifinalists – 11 international and nine from the UAE – covered a wide range of applications, from devices that can be implanted in the human body, to large robots that can enter disaster zones.

The international winner will be awarded a grant worth US$1 million (Dh3.67m), while the national winner will receive Dh1 million.

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