The company is showcasing ATLAB TeachAssist at the Global Education Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai 2017

Robots will soon be teaching and assisting kids across several schools in the UAE. ATLAB, a technology-based learning solutions company, has announced that it will be introducing its customized robotic solution, ATLAB TeachAssist, in schools across Dubai and the UAE and the rest of the GCC, by the end of 2017. The company is showcasing ATLAB TeachAssist at the Global Education Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai 2017 starting March 14.

ATLAB TeachAssist's hardware involves a humanized cloud-based robotic system of Sanbot, which was first showcased to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. ATLAB says it has already started developing customized 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 customized 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," explains S. Senthil Kugan, Director, ATLAB.

As he points out, 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 customize 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. The machines are one of the best we currently have and will unleash the power of cloud-enabled robotics and Artificial Intelligence [AI] to the academic community," he says, adding, however, that a robot will still not be able to fully replace a good teacher, at least not yet".

The robots have a humanized body with a matrix design and are powered by more than 60 sensors providing 360-degree wrap-around perception. A unique 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 customized academic content and information from the cloud.

The company has already received several requests from schools in Dubai and has started creating interactive content. "We plan to start delivering TeachAssist to schools in the UAE from the third quarter. ATLAB has been the frontrunner, bringing the future of education into schools in the UAE. We are now working on how to efficiently use the service robots into schools," he adds.

Separately, ATLAB is also introducing the latest desktop 3D printer, the da Vinci Jr 2.0 Mix. Its unique feature allows users to mix and blend two colors. The device is being launched across the GCC during GESS 2017 at a price point of Dh3,500.

"The interest among schools for 3D printers and adopting it as part of the school activity has significantly increased over the past year. The last two months alone saw more than 300 printers being purchased, mostly by schools," says Kugan.

ATLAB in co-ordination with Lego Education is also launching a fully Arabic version of the EV3 Mindstorm. The popular drag and drop software will now fully support Arabic language, complete with help files and instructions.

"This is the first time a fully Arabic version is being released. It adds value to the e-learning programme and creates an easy-to-use programming environment for teachers and further enhances the computational skills and coding abilities of students within the region," adds Kugan.